The Right Moves
by kabear
Summary: When you're dancing, its easy to tell when you've got it right. Life isn't always so simple. Another "what happens after" story - can there really be a happy ever after for such an unlikely couple? Trink-centric, with other pairings in the background.
1. Chapter 1

standard disclaimer applies:  
'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Link finally felt _right_. With Tracy in his arms, beaming up at him ecstatically, he finally felt like had made the right decisions. At some point, you just had to say 'screw it' to what everyone else thinks, agents be damned! He _knew_ that pulling Inez up to dance on the stage with him was right, and he _knew_ that kissing Tracy, wanting Tracy, _loving_ Tracy - even though she wasn't what everyone expected him to want - was the best choice he had ever made. Link grinned back at her, about to swoop down for another kiss when he was pulled out of his righteous happiness by a tap on the shoulder. Corny was behind him, trying to tell him something.

Link's brain stopped short when he heard the word "agent" come out of Corny's mouth. He had assumed that he had given up that chance by doing the right thing. He couldn't possibly be getting everything he wanted, all at once, could he? He turned to Tracy in shock, but she only wrapped her arms around him again, congratulating him, looking as if she might cry from happiness. He could understand the sentiment as his brain slowly whirred back into life and he turned to Corny.

"Really? You're sure about this? Even after..."

"...you set the censor boards on fire by dancing with a little colored girl? You betcha!" Corny's grin faltered momentarily, "In truth, one of them left right after we wrapped - but the other two stayed, and Ms. Harrison came to ask about you personally. She's waiting off stage as we speak, so I suggest - if, that is, you can pull yourself away from Miss Tracy here," he said, giving Tracy a wink, "that you put that teenage heart-throb smile back on and and come with me to meet her!"

"Uh, right. Right!" Link turned back to Tracy once more. "I've gotta, uh -"

"I know, Link! Go!" Tracy exclaimed, hugging him once more quickly, then pushing him after Corny.

'Alright, alright, get it together Link,' he thought to himself. He did a quick curl check to make sure his 'do hadn't been affected by all the excitement and the dancing and the kissing and Oh God he really _could_ have everything he really wanted - 'No! Just cool it, Link! You are not a twelve year old girl! Be calm, confident, professional!'

He just barely managed to get his act together by the time they reached the collected-looking brunette waiting on the side of the stage. Her hair was up in an age-appropriate yet fashion-forward flip, and she wore a black suit that conveyed a sense of professionalism.

"Mr. Larkin," she said, extending out her hand to confidently shake his, "it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Anna Harrison, I work for the WDC Entertainment Agency. The show tonight was a great success, I believe - if not exactly ... _conventional_. But I must say, I was as impressed by your confidence and courage as I was by your dancing. Mr. Collins here says that you sing, as well?"

Link sputtered for just a moment, temporarily disarmed by all the compliments coming his way from a woman who radiated power and sophistication, on top of holding the potential keys to his future. "Uh, yes ma'am. The Corny Collins show is mostly ensemble numbers, but a few weeks ago I began performing a couple of solo pieces on the show. I was supposed to serenade Miss Teenage Hairspray after she was crowned tonight, but we ran a little ... long. But I'm really enjoying the freedom of performing on my own, being able to work without all the constraints of group choreography," he finished, hoping that sounded adequately adult.

"I can see that. You do seem to shine all on your own, as well as in the group." She reached into her satchel, pulling out a business card and handing it to him. "Why don't you give me a call early next week, and we can discuss where you'd like to go with your career. I don't want to keep you from all the excitement here," she said, smiling at the teens and audience members who were still dancing around the studio, "but I think we might be able to find a lot of exciting directions for you to consider."

"Thank you!" Link responded, holding in the shit-eating grin threatening to overpower his face, "I'll call you Monday as soon as school is out! Thank you so much for this opportunity, and it was lovely to meet you as well, Ms. Harrison." He pocketed the card and shook her hand once more.

"And tell that girl of yours," she paused, making him momentarily nervous as she eyed Tracy somewhere behind his right shoulder, "that Baltimore is lucky to have such a progressive, confident young woman gracing its local television sets."

"I will ma'am, thank you." Link said, grinning as much as he could without looking completely ridiculous. He turned back to go find Tracy, leaving Corny to show Ms. Harrison out. It was great to know that there were other people out there who believed in integration, and Ms. Harrison's remarks succeeded in replacing the sense of _rightness_ that had pervaded his being before Corny had interrupted his moment with Tracy.

He fingered the card in his pocket, unable to keep the extra spring out of his step as peered over people's bobbing heads to spy Tracy hugging Inez near the vote-tally board. Inez waved to him and pointed cockily to the crown on her head, causing Tracy to turn and look at him before bounding over. Coolly setting his forearm on her shoulder and walking her back towards Inez, he casually pulled out the business card and said, "Well, I'm not signed yet, but -"

"Oh my gosh, Link!" Tracy said, grabbing the card from his hand and literally vibrating with excitement. "What did she say? Are you going to be in commercials? In movies? On Broadway? I can't believe this! I mean, I can! You deserve it, Link! This is just so incredibly wonderful!"

She had turned to look at him, smiling that big, beautiful smile of hers, and he couldn't contain himself anymore. The cool facade he hadn't really been maintaining crumbled once again and he swooped down to capture her lips again. He lingered on her lips for just a moment, before turning her around in a little spin then letting go of her to swipe the card back from her with a laugh and do a cocky little spin of his own, with a little hip-posing at the end that made her giggle happily at his excitement.

Link captured her in his arms again and bent down a bit to look into her eyes. "It really is, isn't it? And you know what? She said she was as impressed by my courage to dance with Inez as she was by my dancing. _And_, she said that Baltimore was lucky to have such a progressive, confident young woman dancing on this show!" He squeezed her arm to indicate that yes, he meant _her_!

She blushed and he kissed her once more, just for good measure (and because her lips were so soft he really just couldn't help himself), and squeezed her a bit, saying "I really couldn't have done it without you, Trace. You made all of this possible." She blushed even more and tried to look down but he tilted her chin back up and continued, "I mean it Trace. Me, Inez, Seaweed and Penny - none of this would have happened if it wasn't for you. You're so fearless, and brave, and darlin' I just can't thank you enough for always doin' what you know is right. Because now I see that doin' what's right is never wrong! I've got proof of it now, right here, with this card," he said, waving the business card. "And I'm sorry I didn't know that before, that I didn't come to the march and I thought that giving the right impression was more important that doing something I knew was right and I just wanted to impress the agents but when I finally decided to do the right thing they _still_ liked me anyway," he knew he had to stop rambling so un-eloquently (could he really not think of another word for 'right'?), but it just wouldn't stop tumbling out, "and - and - and, darlin'! I'm just so happy and I can't thank you enough!" He hugged her as hard as he could, burying his face in her hair and trying to collect himself a bit.

"Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, slowly releasing her after a moment and looking into her tear-stained face.

"Oh Link," she said, smiling, "you never, ever have to be sorry for that." She kept grinning up at him as she tried to wipe the wetness from her cheeks. "I'm so glad you danced with Inez and I'm so glad the agent loved you! This is really just the best night ever!"

Link grabbed her hand to spin her again as the beat picked up. "And its not even over yet, babe. What would you say to splitting a milkshake with me after the studio clears out?" She spun back into his arms effortlessly, then stepped back so she could shake those hips at a more polite distance from his.

"Well, I'll have to check with my Ma to make sure she's okay with me not riding home with her and Dad, but I think we could come to some kind of arrangement, Mr. Larkin," Tracy responded saucily, hand on her hip and head cocked to the side, before pulling him closer once more.

They kept dancing, no longer having to censor their movements according to Velma Von Tussle's rules of proper dancing conduct, until the dancers had thinned enough for Link to spot Tracy's mom and pop gathering their coats from the stands. "Better go tell your mom that you've already got a ride home," Link said, pointing out her parents to her. As he watched her scurry off to get permission, he felt funny little butterflies invade his stomach. He was about to go on a semi-official date with Tracy Turnblad. He'd never gone out with a girl like her, in multiple senses - usually the girls he dated only wanted to talk about the show and school gossip while preening and giggling at anything he said. Something told him it would be different with Trace, 'in an impossibly good sort of way,' he thought, putting an arm around her shoulders as she returned, nodding happily about her parent's approval and walking them towards the mirrors where their jackets were.

"I just have to be home by ten, they said. But honestly, they're so wrapped up in each other they probably wouldn't even notice what time I got back. I've never seen my Ma look so good, and my Dad finally noticed it, too..." Tracy continued to chatter happily as they gathered their things before heading out to his car, hand in hand.

* * *

AN: Wow. Its a bit scary to be writing again. I haven't done it for a couple of years, and this is my first Hairspray story. But its been wanting to come out for a while now, and i just couldn't hold back any more. The rating may go up for later chapters, especially if i can figure out how to write things without making them sound tacky and ... weird.  
I'll try to update weekly - and comments, suggestions, and criticism are *great*amazing*appreciated*_needed_*  
and the best way to make me write faster.


	2. Chapter 2

standard disclaimer applies:  
'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Tracy didn't think she had ever been this happy in her life. Link's arms stayed around her for a moment longer as she just beamed up at him, unable to keep her glee even the tiniest bit contained. Fortunately, if his answering grin was anything to go by, he didn't mind her exuberance. He turned away suddenly to look behind him, where Corny was smiling down at the both of them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but one of the agents would like to talk to Link, here," he said, waggling his eyebrows in excitement at them.

Link's mouth dropped open, and he turned back to Tracy still looking a bit dazed.

"You did it, Link!" she said, hugging him tightly before looking back into his eyes, watching life return to his face. "I knew they'd love you!" She was so happy that he hadn't sacrificed his chances with the agents - who knows what might have happened if he'd come to the march last night? Would he have danced with Lil' Inez today? Tracy didn't know, but she did know that everything had worked out just as it should - better than it should have, really - and she couldn't ask for anything more than that. She quickly hugged him again then pushed him off to follow Corny, watching him nervously check his hair on his way towards the woman at the edge of the stage.

As she watched him quickly morph back into his calm, confident TV persona, she could hardly believe that not five minutes earlier, he'd been _kissing_ her. She sighed happily, then turned to see if she could find Inez to congratulate her. She spotted her dancing by the side of the stage, showing off her moves for Darla and Tammy who were trying to imitate them, but still looking a bit stiff. She ran over to join them, jumping in with Inez and smiling big at the other girls, getting them to relax a bit more into the movements. The song ended and Tracy pulled Inez aside to pull her into a big hug.

"Congratulations Inez! I'm so happy for you! You danced so well!"

"Thanks, Tracy! So did you! We really showed them, didn't we?" She asked, readjusting her crown.

Tracy flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Yes we did. And about time!" She continued in a less saucy tone, "and now all of Baltimore will get to see you dance!"

Inez was about to respond when something caught her eye and she waved and pointed towards Link who was coming back across the stage towards them. 'That was certainly fast,' Tracy thought, rushing over to meet him, 'I hope everything went alright!'

He was smiling, but still playing it cool right before he waved about a creamy white business card. "Well, I'm not signed yet, but..."

"Oh my gosh, Link!" Tracy couldn't contain herself and snatched the card from him. It read: 'Anna Harrison, Agent' above a picture of a shiny gold star, with the words 'WDC Entertainment Agency' and a phone number. It was so official! "Are you going to be in commercials? In movies? On Broadway?" She couldn't believe it, it was so amazing! Everything she could have wanted - first Inez and now this! "This is just so incredibly wonderful!" Looking up at him then, she remembered that from the first time she had seen him on the Corny Collins show, she knew he was meant for big things. The way he danced, the way he sang, the way he shook his hips - and that amazing face and hair - there was no way he wasn't destined to be noticed.

Tracy was smiling up at him, still pondering for the gigantic future that lay ahead of him, that she was taken by surprise when he swooped down and kissed her suddenly. 'And this may be the most wonderful part of the whole night,' she thought, relishing in the feeling of his lips against hers before he spun her out and around to the music that had started up again. He grabbed his card back and spun around for her, shaking his hips with a cocky grin. She laughed and clapped her hands together - she'd never seen him look so happy. He bent down and grabbed her in his arms again, making her catch her breath.

"It really is, isn't it?" He smiled more seriously, "And you know what, she said she was as impressed by my courage to dance with Inez as she was by my dancing. AND, she said that Baltimore was lucky to have such a progressive, confident young woman dancing on this show!"

Tracy couldn't believe it - the agent had noticed _her_, too! She blushed and Link kissed her - again! 'A girl could really get used to this kissing thing, especially if _Link Larkin_ is the one doing the kissing,' she thought, squealing with happiness on the inside as Link squeezed her a little harder and looked into her eyes.

"I really couldn't have done it without you, Trace," he went on and she cocked her head to the side - what on earth had she done? She wasn't the one who had danced with Inez or managed to look incredibly handsome in a tux! But Link went on, "I mean it, Trace. Me, Inez, Seaweed and Penny - none of this would have happened if it wasn't for you." He continued, praising her and talking about integration and doing the right thing, practically rambling as he tried to get his point across. Tracy could hardly believe the emotion shining in his eyes as he looked at her - it was like she was seeing all the way into his soul, as corny as that sounded - past the Link Larkin that everybody wanted on TV, past the amazing dancer and coolest guy in school - to the guy who had just realized that he could really make a difference and stand up for what was right in the world.

She had had that realization herself just a couple of nights before, and her own emotions got the better of her as she noticed she was crying - seeing her own determination and gratitude reflected in his eyes was just too much. Link finally cut himself off, thanking her one more time and hugging her _hard_. She wrapped her arms around him in return until he finally let her go, apologizing for his emotional outburst.

"Oh Link, you never, ever have to be sorry for that," she said, trying to wipe her eyes without messing up her makeup. She grinned and tried to recollect herself, but the momentum of the evening was still overwhelming as she tried to process it all. "I'm so glad you danced with Inez and I'm so glad the agent loved you!" She wasn't sure how to say 'and I'm so glad that you've really come around and I can see you for more than what you show everyone else' without sounding condescending, so she just finished with, "This is really just the best night ever!"

Link grabbed her hand once more, spinning her around to get her dancing again. Then her world shattered again as calmly suggested that they split a milkshake later. He was asking her out! Really asking her out! It wasn't just the heat of the moment, the cameras and the craziness of the night - Link Larkin was _interested_ in Tracy Turnblad. _Romantically Interested._ A heady feeling flowed over her as she danced and she responded to his suggestion with an equally cool quip about needing to ask her Ma's permission, but probably being able to "come to some kind of arrangement, Mr. Larkin."

They kept dancing for at least another twenty minutes, trying out the new moves bursting out all around them - a result of white kids finally being able to dance the 'colored' dances that Velma would never let them try. As people slowly started to shuffle off the floor in exhaustion, Tracy ran off to find her mom. Edna and Wilbur were walking down from the stands, putting on their coats when Tracy reached them.

"Ready to go, hon?" Edna asked. "Its been quite the night!" She grinned sheepishly at her daughter as she pulled the khaki trench coat around her and began to tie on her kerchief, "I can't believe I've actually danced on live television! Me!"

"And, you were the best dancer out there! I've never _seen_ moves like that," her dad cut in, hand dramatically clutched to his chest.

"Oh, Ma," Tracy said, "you were wonderful. I had so much fun dancing with you and Inez." She paused and put on her best 'I'm-a-wonderful-daughter' smile. "But I was wondering... if you would mind if I got a ride home with Link?"

"Oh that's right! I saw you smooching that crooner at the end of the show!" Edna put her hands on her hips and stared her daughter down in mock anger for a moment until she smiled and gathered her into her arms. "I told you he'd realize he was crazy about you. He even came to the house last night because he was worried about you."

"What!?!" Tracy exclaimed, pulling back to look up into Edna's face, "You didn't tell me that!"

"Well I'm sorry, hon, I was just a _little_ distracted by the thought of my daughter being on the run from the police!"

The two women continued to glare in indignation at the other for a moment until Wilbur thought it prudent to intervene. "Hey now! Ladies! Ladies!" He gathered them both together, one on each arm, "It's all worked out! Everyone is safe and happy and," he winked at Tracy, and reached down to pat Edna's tush, making her squeak and swat him on the chest, "romantically satisfied." He just grinned saucily at his wife and put his arm back around her before turned back to Tracy. "Plus, that nice young man is still down there waiting for you."

Tracy turned to look at where Link was watching the interactions with a serene smile. "So I can go with him?"

"Well," Edna paused again, looking critically at Link. "He does seem to care an awful lot about you, so as long as you promise to be safe and make sure you're home by 10, I don't see why not." Wilbur smiled in approval and pecked his wife on the cheek, making her blush.

Tracy clasped her hands in front of her and jumped up and down twice, "Thanks, Ma! We'll be good, I promise - we're just going for a milkshake down the street, and then I'll be home." She turned and walked a few steps before spinning around and running to hug her Mom one last time. "And you really did dance great, Ma! We should make _you_ try out for the Corny Collins Show next time!"

Edna tried to smile and look affronted at the same time as she watched her daughter run off to join the young man who had complimented her roasted pork so nicely the night before. She just hoped he was as polite towards Tracy, in _every_ meaning of the word, or he would find out the hard way how unfortunate it was to be on the wrong side of Edna Marie Turnblad.

} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -{

Link's car was just as cool was he was. It was a Cadillac, just like Elvis had! Well, it wasn't quite the same, Link had informed her - going into a little tirade on what made the King's car so much better than his - but why this was all he could afford. It all went right over Tracy's head, but she did understand by the spark in Link's eyes when he talked about it that his car meant a lot to him, so she hung off of every word as if he were Elvis himself.

They took a corner booth inside of BJ's Shakes, and ordered a extra large chocolate malt with two straws. Tracy felt a little over-dressed for a malt-shop, but Link assured her it was cool since they were matching in their formal attire.

"Plus," he added, "you can never really be over-dressed. You can just be un-apologetically classier than everyone around you."

Tracy looked at him, waiting for him to crack a smile or laugh, but he didn't. The seriousness of his attitude at that moment sent Tracy into a fit of giggles. 'Un-apologetically classier?' she thought. 'Honestly!' But she knew that even if it was a bit egotistical, there was something immensely appealing about Link's self-confidence, and she couldn't help but find his narcissism a bit cute and endearing.

"Oh, yes," she finally managed to say after collecting herself a bit, smiling at his blushing face, "that's right. We're just about the two classiest, hippest teenagers in all of Baltimore, I'd imagine." She blinked her eyelashes at him repeatedly and stuck her nose up in the air, then continued in snooty voice, "Where _is_ our chocolate confection? Honestly, the service here is positively _plebeian_ sometimes!"

"I said 'classy,' Trace, not 'snobby'." He smiled, still a little embarrassed, and then stuck his own chin up and out. "There _is_ a difference, you know," he finished, mocking her own silly voice.

They were interrupted at this point by the arrival of said chocolate confection, complete with two straws, whip cream, and a cherry on top. Link demanded that she take the cherry, and their playful squabble resulted in whip cream on arms and cheeks and noses that then had to be licked off amidst quite a bit of blushing. Tracy had always thought watching Link lick his hand to slick back his hair was strangely sexy, and watching him lick his wrist was similarly satisfying - it was such an odd thing to watch someone do. She finally sucked the last vestiges of whip cream off her finger, and popped the cherry into her mouth, chewing happily while looking smugly at him.

"So, Link," she said, narrowing her eyes knowingly as she reached for her straw, "I hear you were at my house last night." She folded her hands on the table in front of her and took a loooong draw out of the malt, giving him plenty of time to respond, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

Link cleared his throat. "Uh-huh, yeah, about that ..." he looked down and to the side, fidgeting with the buttons of his sleeves. "I just, you know, wanted to make sure you were okay, and I felt _really_ bad about what went down earlier." He looked so adorably uncomfortable that Tracy was completely smitten all over again. She knew she should stop him since he was obviously a bit embarrassed, but he was just too cute to stop, so she let him continue.

"And I just had to do somethin' - but I didn't know where you'd gone to, so I figured your parents might know, but then your ma pulled me inside and insisted on feeding me... and then I was in your room and it was just so adorable and it smelled like you and -"

"Wait, wait - you were in my room?!?" Now it was Tracy's turn to be embarrassed. Oh god - that meant he had seen all those pictures of himself plastered everywhere. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Yeah, doll, I just couldn't help it! I needed to see something of yours, to be near you in some way to reassure myself that you were going to be okay - but thats not the point! I need to say something to you, Trace." Now she was worried and confused. What was he talking about?

"What, Link?"

"Look, I-" he looked down, then quickly slid around the edge of the table to sit in the booth next to her, so close she could smell his cologne and see his long eyelashes framing his own eyes as they bore into hers. "Tracy, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I shoulda been, and it was a totally square and cowardly thing for me not to go. And what I said about it being too _big_ a thing - well, you've gotta know, darlin', that I wouldn't ever say anything like - like _that_. I would never do anything to hurt you, Trace, I mean it." His hand had reached up to push some hair out of her face and was his fingers were still touching it softly, almost reverently, while he waited for a response.

Tracy felt a bit short of breath. How could he make her go from feeling so confident and sassy one moment to completely bewildered and humbled and _in love with him_ in the next? She didn't think she was completely gone yet over him in a serious sense, but she was certainly in love him in this moment. "I -" she started, then paused, unsure of what to say, "Thank you, Link. That means a lot."

They looked at each other for a moment longer, then Link pulled away from her a bit. "I guess I should stay on my side of the booth, me being a perfect gentleman and all, and this being only our first date."

He started to return to his side of the table when Tracy exclaimed, "No!" He stopped and looked at her, and her cheeks flushed again. "I mean, you can stay here." She paused, searching for a plausible explanation for wanting him close to her without making her sound fast. "It'll be easier for you to reach the straw from over here, anyway, right?"

"Why, you're absolutely right," he said, winking at Tracy and scootching back in the seat next to her, taking her hand in his before looking at her in alarm. "You're freezing!" he said, as he pulled her hand up and then noticed she was wearing a sleeveless dress in an ice cream parlor. Then, further proving that he was, in fact, a perfect gentleman, he removed his tux jacket and draped it around her, despite her feeble protests.

"Thanks, Link." He had kept his arm around her, and Tracy was relishing in the contact. She really wasn't cold in the slightest anymore. A long silence threatened to descend, so Tracy focused on their forgotten drink. "Our poor malt is melting!" She pulled it towards them and pulled from her own straw, and Link copied her, their faces practically brushing. Once they started, both seemed to realize they were quite hungry after a night full of dancing, and didn't come up again for air until the malt was almost done.

Link pulled back and sighed a full, happy sigh, tilting his head back against the booth. Tracy copied him, settling back onto his arm and leaning into him.

"Chocolate malts are _almost_ my favorite flavor in the whole world," Link said.

"Oh? And what is your favorite?"

He sat forward and looked at her, "Well, at the moment, I would have to say.... You!" He grinned and raised his eyebrow expectantly, but Tracy just smacked his chest lightly.

"You are just full of cheesy lines, aren't you Mr. Larkin?" But she did turn to him, shifting a bit - because if he really _did_ want to kiss her, she wasn't _really_ going to stop him.

"Baby, I think you mean to say that I am full of wondrously romantic lines that come straight from my heart, and in that case, why yes! I am!" His sarcasm mixed perfectly with his narcissism and Tracy couldn't quite tell how much he was joking before made it a moot point anyway. "So, are you going to let me indulge in my new favorite flavor?"

Tracy smiled up at him, unable to stop the warm feeling in her chest from creeping up into her cheeks. He leant down and softly captured her lips, pressing their mouths together sweetly before slowly kissing her upper and lower lips individually. She felt him smile against her mouth and his hand started to run slowly through her hair, sending little shivers down her back to accompany the ones running from her lips into her heart. The she felt a tentative tongue on her lips and she gasped a bit, allowing him to sneak his tongue just inside her mouth. It took her a moment to wrap her head around the idea that she was actually being french kissed by _Link Larkin_, but after a second or two she boldly reciprocated, and touched her tongue to his. She felt a little shock of "Oh! Thats nice!" before losing herself in the moment and letting herself be swept away by Link's lips and tongue on her own and his hand pulling softly through her hair. Link pulled away again after a minute, and looked into her eyes, smiling gently.

"Yup, definitely my favorite flavor."

They spent a little longer talking and finishing up their malt, before realizing they'd better head out if they wanted to get Tracy home before her curfew. So Link paid the check and took her hand to escort her back to the car. The drive was calm and relaxed, with both of them singing along with the radio and holding hands. He parked on the street outside of her door, then got out to open the door for her, which Tracy thought was sweet. This was just about the best first date she could have hoped for with any guy, let alone a guy she'd been gone over for almost three years now.

Link escorted her to her doorstep, and checked to make sure her parents weren't lurking at the door or peering out any windows before tilting her head up for a kiss. Tracy smiled into the kiss, letting it deepen for just a moment before pulling back and taking off Link's jacket. "Thanks," she said, handing it back to him. "I had a really nice time, just now, with you. And everything before that was just totally wild, too!"

"Yeah, it was." Link looked down and shuffled his feet a bit. She couldn't believe he was actually nervous around her, that was just unbelievable, and it almost made her nervous. But then he looked back up with her and sheepishly continued. "So..... Can I give you a lift into school Monday mornin'?"

Tracy stopped short. School. She hadn't even thought about what Monday morning was going to be like. Things would be different, for sure, she just wasn't sure all of what would change. She just hoped Link would be willing to stand beside her, no matter what changes the outcome of the pageant had brought about. Tracy was biting her lip, still lost in thought when she realized she had left Link standing there without an answer. "Oh! Yes! I mean, I would like that, thank you." Link seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Wow, way to string a guy along, doll! Had me worried there for a minute!" Link leaned down to kiss her one more time quickly, then descended one step. "I'll see you Monday mornin', bright and early, okay?"

"Okay." Tracy smiled at him, and waved him away, watching his cut figure walk back to his car. 'He really is just all kinds of perfect,' she thought, and she had so much fun spending time with him - despite all the blushing and silliness. She sighed happily and walked inside, very much ready to collapse on her bed and spend the night collecting energy so she could get up the next morning and just squeal in happiness, because she didn't have the energy right now to process how amazing the last 12 hours had been, but she was sure she'd remember them for the rest of her life.

* * *

(Gone - cool, groovy, neat, neato; or a term for crushing on someone, i.e. "Cindy is totally gone over him!")

* * *

AN: I'm pretty sure i've watched Hairspray about 8 times all together this week. I just leave it playing while i'm writing. I'm constantly going back to check what the characters do and say - how they act and what their reactions to everyone else are. (I literally have 3-4 pages of notes now.) If i can't justify them doing/saying it in my head, then i can't write it. Anyway, I'm pretty sure by the time this story is finished, i'll know every line, every note, and every piece of furniture in the Turnblad's house .... its kind of ridiculous. Also, i'm trying to use correct time-era lingo, so if it looks weird, check down here to see if there are definitions i think you should know before writing me off as a wack job.

Also, i swear this story will stop being so overly fluffy very soon.

Next promised update: Sunday, 10/4. This one is early, but I'm going to keep my deadlines at one week from my original start date. If I get them done early, though, I'll probably throw them up.

And thankyou thankyou thankyou to Amanda and Penny L. Pingleton for your lovely reviews, they were much appreciated, and i'm so glad you think it sounds believable, and that you liked it so far. ^__^


	3. Chapter 3

standard disclaimer applies:

'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 3  
**

Tracy had complimented Link's car as soon as he had started driving, which was only working to further endear her to him. He realized in retrospect that she probably hadn't understood much of his specifics about fin height and class models of Cadillacs, but that was okay - he didn't usually get to show off his car knowledge for anyone, so it was just nice to have someone interested at all. He had spent the first year and a half on the Corny Collins show saving up for his baby, and she meant the world to him. Independence and power over his schedule meant more to him than the status symbol of being one of the only council members with a Caddy - although that didn't hurt any - and neither did the large back seat which he and Amber had made use of once or twice.

But this was only his first date with Tracy, and nothing like that was going to happen. He suspected this was Tracy's first date ever, as he hadn't ever seen with any guys in school, and her lack of refined .... _feminine wiles_ (he grimaced internally, thinking of the numerous ways that Amber had liked to tease him and string him along) .... suggested she hadn't had much practice in the dating arena. And if that was the case, he was going to endeavor to make her first date as nice as possible.

That was one reason, the other was because he was practically _in love_ with her.

Okay, he _was_ in love with her, even if he wasn't quite ready to admit it out loud to her yet. Or, maybe - he certainly _loved_ her right now, but they weren't _in_ love - yet. And showing her just how smooth a cat he could be would only help her to fall in love with him, he figured. So, he pulled into BJs resolved to show her just how cool a cat he could be. He was Link Larkin, and if he could make masses of teen-aged girls fall in love with him, surely he could capture the heart of the one he wanted the most.

Well, that's certainly the way it should have gone, but Tracy managed to shatter his cool facade within minutes, practically laughing in his face when he tried to assure her that she was classy, and not over-dressed. She patted his hand a bit condescendingly when she stopped giggling, and then made fun of him! He didn't really see what was wrong with looking nice, but eventually Tracy's joshing him made him realize he had probably sounded like a huge snob. He copied her silly voice, trying his best to save face and said, "I said 'classy,' Trac, not 'snobby'. There is a difference you know!"

Then their malt arrived and put him out of his misery. Maybe he should just try and not make of a fool of himself tonight - that might be a more achievable goal.

The chocolate malt was a bit ridiculous, with copious amounts of whip cream and one giant red cherry on the top which he immediately picked up by the stem and tried to give it Tracy.

"Oh, that's okay, you can have it."

"No, you should have it!" he insisted.

"But you picked it up!"

"Yeah, Trace, to give to you!" At this point, Link dropped the cherry back onto the malt, making whip cream splatter up on his hand. "There, now you can pick it up!"

Tracy laughed at him and picked the cherry stem out from the whip cream, getting it on her fingers. "Here! Now, I've picked it up so I can give it to you!"

Link laughed and smiled at her. "No way, darlin! You totally got girl cooties all over it now! And in the whip cream, I might add." He scooped the top layer of whip cream off the malt onto his finger. "All of this whip cream has been claimed by you - there's no way I can eat it now," and he playfully smeared a little bit on the very tip of her nose.

Tracy gasped in mock indignation. "I can't believe you did that!" She moved to retaliate, scooping some of the whip cream off his finger and aiming for his nose, but Link dodged and it ended up on his cheek, instead. They got in just a couple more attacks before dissolving into a fit of laughter. He was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt, and trying to lick all the whip cream off his hands and clean off his face, finishing in time to look up to Tracy naively licking her fingers off in the most provocative way imaginable. Link felt a jolt of desire shoot through him that completely dissolved any doubts he might of had as to whether or not he was physically attracted to her. Then she grabbed the cherry from where it had fallen on the table and popped it in her mouth, grinning happily and looking at him smugly.

Link just smiled back sincerely, happy to be here, with her. He had never had this much fun on a date with Amber or the girls he had dated before her. Tracy made him felt like he didn't have to be cool and collected all the time, and it was great to finally be able to relax and not act so cool all the time.

Then Tracy turned the tables on him once more, bringing up the fact that he had visited her house the night before, and demanding a response with artfully raised eyebrows. He was instantly flung back into a state of embarrassment and shame for not being there when Tracy went to march, trying to tell her _why _had needed to check on her. Then, just as quickly, she pulled him back off the roller coaster of emotions when he mentioned he'd been in her room.

"Wait, wait - you were in my room ?!?" Her eyes had gotten big and her cheeks were getting a bit red. 'What is so bad about her room?' He had thought it was adorable and inviting. If anything, he should be embarrassed - it had hardly been polite of him to invade her space like that, especially considering he'd laid on her bed, eaten her private little candy stash, and practically mauled her school photo. He tried to explain, but then decided he just needed to go back to his original point, if for no reason other than to get that painfully embarrassed expression off her face - really, she was turning quite pink all over now - but also because he hadn't really apologized yet and he owed her that. But even that didn't come out right, he was stumbling over his words again, and she just looked bewildered and a little frightened when he tried to get back on track. So he came around the table to sit right next to her, hoping to reassure her and needing to be close to prove his sincerity as he apologized.

He took a breath and looked into her big brown eyes. "Tracy, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I shoulda been, and it was a totally square and cowardly thing for me not to go." And while he was at it, he really _had_ to apologize about the thing that had made her cry, no matter how awkward it would be. "And what I said about it being too _big _a thing - well, you've gotta know, darlin', that I wouldn't ever say anything like - like _that_." He couldn't resist pushing a bit of hair out of her face, trying to soothe the still bewildered expression from her face. "I would never do anything to hurt you, Trace, I mean it."

Tracy just stared up at him with wide eyes. He kept softly running his fingers through her hair, which felt wonderful and smooth and so nice compared to the rock-hard hairsprayed 'dos she and the other girls on the council usually sported. She looked to be compiling some kind of response - and he could only pray that his hasty apology was enough. Link knew he would have to continue to prove to her that he wasn't going to run away from obstacles and that her size really didn't matter to him, but he hoped it was a start.

"Thank you, Link. That means a lot," she said with sincerity and his heart swelled a bit in pride that at least one part of the date had gone according to plan. Speaking of the plan, he realized just how close he had gotten to her, his arm practically wrapped around her as his fingers still combed through her hair.

"I guess I should stay on my side of the booth," he said, trying to maintain a gentlemanly sense of propriety on their first official outing. But when he tried to move back, Tracy loudly protested, making him raise his eyebrows in shock and look at her. The flush from her cheeks had quickly returned and her eyes were downcast, making her look adorably innocent.

"I mean, you can stay here." Her eyes darted up to meet his, "It'll be easier for you to reach the straw from over here, anyway, right?"

He really didn't need an excuse to be close to her again, and quickly slid back in and took her hand - quickly giving her his tux jacket when he realized how cold she was. They quickly settled into enjoying their chocolate malt, and Link kept his arm around her till they had almost finished.

He leaned back and brushed his fingers through her hair once more, a little draft in the room making the scent of her shampoo float up to his nostrils. Without all the hairspray, he could actually smell _Tracy_, and she smelled .... _edible_. Her mom must bake - or maybe _she_ baked (he couldn't be that lucky, could he?) - cookies all the time, because it just wasn't natural to smell that good, was it? She leaned back against him and the smell of warm cookies and vanilla shampoo rose to his nose again.

"Chocolate malts are _almost_ my favorite flavor in the whole world," he said, tilting his head down to smell her hair and smile.

"Oh? And what is your favorite?"

'Alright, time to prove you've still got some moves, Link' he thought to himself before learning forward and turning a bit to look at her and wink, responding to her question.

"Well, at the moment, I would have to say... You!"

Tracy smacked his chest lightly and laughed at his corny line, but leaned into him all the same. He pointed out to her that it was, in fact, a very romantic and heartfelt line before asking not-so-subtly if he could kiss her. She just smiled up at him, and some of his wounded pride from earlier was restored. Tracy may be the coolest, bravest, hippest girl he knew - but he could still maneuver his way into her heart if he trusted his instincts. He leaned down and kissed her gently, loving the softness of her lips against his. He knew he should be good, but he really couldn't help himself from kissing her lips and tasting them just a bit with his tongue. And after that, it really wasn't his fault if his tongue slipped a little bit inside her mouth as she gasped softly in surprise. Her lips were soft and slightly cooled from the malt, but inside her mouth was warm and tasted like chocolate and something else that reminded him of honey and nuts. Link had kissed lots of girls, but none of them had tasted so wonderful, or made his heart pound so quickly in his chest at so little contact. When her tongue tentatively touched his, he barely restrained himself from clutching her to him with the hand carding through her hair. He instead caressed her tongue with his own before pulling back to massage her mouth with open-mouthed kisses, occasionally darting his tongue back in to taste her.

When Link finally convinced his fluttering heart to take into account the fact that they were in a very public place, and it was _still_ only their first date, he pulled back and smiled down at her.

"Yup, definitely my favorite flavor," he quipped and she smiled and looked down bashfully.

"You don't taste so bad yourself," she said without looking up, and he suddenly wondered if he was her first french kiss as well. It was a nice thought. He leaned forward to take another sip of malt from his straw, leaning one elbow on the table to look at her.

"So, Trace, what's your favorite flavor?" Link supposed that came off as him asking for a compliment, but he actually meant it sincerely. They had been dancing together on the show for about two weeks now, but they'd only talked a handful of times and - embarrassingly enough - he just didn't know that much about her when it came to the normal, mundane things.

"Well..." she mirrored his position on the table, "you might be in the top five - it'll take more investigating - but for now, I'll say.... mmmm.... caramel."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" He entwined their fingers on the bench between them, unable to be so close and not touch her in some way. She looked down and smiled at their hands happily before replying.

"Its... warm, you know? Around the holidays my dad likes to drink a tiny glass of brandy because he says it makes him warm and tingly, and I like to have caramels for the same reason." Tracy took a sip of the malt and squeezed his hand. "And, I've never met a candy bar with caramel in it that I didn't like," she finished, laughing a bit.

Link kept asking questions, getting the essentials out of the way (favorite color, favorite flower, favorite songs and singers - all the stuff that would help him in his wooing quest down the road) and answering her questions in turn. Once they'd finished the malt he checked the clock and realized he'd better get her home if he wanted to stay in her parents' good graces. He reached around her, practically hugging her and sneaking one more smell of her hair on his way to get his money clip from the inside pocket on the far side of his jacket. Tracy's small hand came up to his chest, as she was surprised by his proximity, but she wasn't actually pushing him away, either. He left some extra bread on the table for the waitress and led Tracy out, their fingers still entwined.

When they reached her house, Link parked and jumped out to get the door for Tracy, walking her up to her stoop. He did a quick door and window check to make sure her parents weren't snooping on them, then tilted her head up to look into her large brown eyes, before letting his eyes slide down her nose to linger on her full lips. He stooped down and kissed her, surprised and pleased when she opened her mouth a bit without encouragement, and Link had to pull back before he let himself go too far. She pulled off his jacket and handed it back to him.

"Thanks," she said, "I had a really nice time, just now, with you." She smiled even bigger. "And everything before that was just totally wild, too!"

He had practically forgotten about the momentous evening that had preceded their first date. It had been quite a day. "Yeah, it was." He couldn't quite believe everything that had happened, nor could he believe that he had fallen so hard for the girl standing before him that it hadn't even crossed his mind once after he had gotten her alone. Link had tried so hard to make it a wonderful first date for her, but she had made his the best date he'd been on by just being herself.

He looked her in the eyes once more in wonderment, then asked if he could give her a ride to school on Monday. Link would have liked to have taken her out tomorrow, too, but he didn't want to push anything. Amber had demanded rides once they started going steady, but he would enjoy some alone time in the mornings with Tracy before he had to face the school and adoring masses who were expecting nothing less than a primo-hepcat Link Larkin.

Unfortunately, Tracy didn't seem to be responding well to his request. Even more worrisome - she didn't seem to be responding at all! She just stood, frozen, her eyes staring blankly through his chest and he was about to get really worried when she finally came out of it.

"Oh! Yes!" she exclaimed, her eyes jumping back to his face, "I mean, I would like that, thank you."

Link sighed in relief. 'What was that?' he thought, but covered it with a couple more smooth remarks so as not to seem paranoid. He kissed her once more chastely then moved down the stairs, not wanting to press his luck with parents who had left them unattended on the doorstep so far. "I'll see you Monday mornin', bright and early, okay?"

Tracy agreed and waved him off. He hopped down the steps and back to his car, checking his hair once in the rear view mirror before driving off.

-------------------------------------------

Tracy woke up late Sunday morning to the smell of bacon and eggs. After taking a quick shower, and actually being able to wash her hair and brush it afterward (the ease of straightened hair was certainly growing on her), she joined her parents in the dining room for breakfast. The Turnblads hadn't been to church since she was a tiny girl, as Edna became embarrassed about going out when Tracy was just seven, and Wilbur didn't really care much for the serious sermons that she vaguely remembered sleeping or coloring through. Still, they liked to spend time together on Sundays, usually eating a late breakfast and an early dinner. Tracy tried to invite Penny over when she could, so Penny could have a taste of a loving family life that Tracy knew was something she didn't get a home.

It was nice to just spend some time with her parents munching on perfectly crisped bacon and cinnamon toast. They were especially chipper this morning, and quite sappy, but it was nice to see them so happy. Tracy supposed her family was happier than most, and that being an only child who was not always accepted by her peers meant she spent more time with her parents. As she watched her father sneak a kiss onto Edna's cheek as he twirled around the table on his way back to the kitchen for more juice, she wondered if she and Link could ever be that happy. Her Ma and Pa were both kind of odd ducks, and they fit together perfectly because of it - but she and Link were more like an odd duck and a swan prince, and she had some doubts as to whether living her dream would be as magical as she had always pictured it. But she pushed that thought aside - there was no use dwelling on it when they'd only just started dating - and talked to her parents about the previous two days.

"Ma, you're such a rebel! Thrown in jail! I guess I'm not the only revolutionary in the family!" Her Ma looked bashful and flapped her hand at her.

"Me? Revolutionry?" Then she smiled and looked up, "Wilbur's the real hero - did you know he bailed all those people out last night?"

"Really? I'd say that makes us Baltimore's first family when it comes to supporting integration, don't you think?" Tracy grinned at her parents, really happy and proud that they supported her and when push came to shove, they both stood up for what was right instead of ignoring the injustice going on around them. And it was nice to know that through all the changes that were going on - with integration, the Corny Collins Show, and Link - that they would be there, that their family unit could weather any storm.

They finished breakfast still talking and joking good-naturedly. Tracy checked with her Ma, then called Penny's house to invite her over for dinner and to do homework. If she had thought about it a bit, she probably should have realized that calling the Pingleton's house would only result in Mrs. Pingleton shouting and screaming at her in hysterics before announcing that Penny had never had come home and promptly hanging up. Tracy felt like such a heel! She should have remembered that Penny had run away from her mother and wouldn't have a place to stay last night - she could only hope that she had found a place with Miss Maybelle and Seaweed.

After checking with her Ma to make sure it was okay for Penny to stay with them if she needed, she called the Stubbs' with her fingers crossed, hoping against hope that Penny was there. The phone rang and rang and rang. Tracy probably let it ring 15 times or more before finally decided that they must have just gone for a walk. She was _not_ going to think of all the horrible things that could have happened to them after leaving the show. Or about how all of them had been on television, with their faces easily recognizable and their address not difficult to track down. Or about just how angry people who used to associate with the likes of _Mr._ Pingleton would be at the idea that colored people were getting the same rights as white people, not to mention how they would feel about one of those colored boys kissing a white girl on said television. Nope. She was _not_ thinking about that all. She was just wringing her hands and squeezing her eyes shut in an effort not to cry because she was so worried about the history test tomorrow. Really.

Tracy paced in front of the phone, trying to convincing herself to calm down. She would call them again in half an hour, and another thirty minutes after that if no one picked up. If that didn't work, she would call Link and beg him to drive her up to North Avenue to make sure they weren't just in the record shop and couldn't hear the phone. If that didn't work - well... She would do something. They had to be okay.

Edna walked through the room with a basket of clothes to hang and saw her daughter pacing the floor and biting her nails - a habit she had broken Tracy of over a year and a half ago.

"Tracy, hon! What's the matter?" she said, setting her basket down on the couch. Tracy looked up at her for a moment losing the battle against her emotions, running into her mother's arms, burying her face in her chest.

"Its all my fault, Ma! I shoulda asked Penny to come home with me last night but I was so caught up with Link that I forgot about her completely - and now she could be hurt or lost or _dead_ - and Seaweed and Maybelle and Lil' Inez aren't picking up the phone - and what if someone _hurt_ them because of the show - and oh god, its all my fault!" She was sobbing into her mother's dress now, clinging to her as hard as she could.

Edna hugged her hard, rocking her for a moment before trying to soothe her fears. "Its gonna be alright, hon. I'm sure they're alright and everything's just fine." She continued to coo at Tracy, rubbing her back and holding her as she cried, remembering in detail just how cruel the people of Baltimore could be to those of whom they disapproved. She knew now would not be the best time to tell Tracy the specifics of such things. "Tracy, I bet you that they're just dancin' and havin' a good time in that record shop of theirs, and they didn't hear the phone. Why don't you call again in a minute and double check?"

Tracy stepped back and rubbed her eyes, sniffling and trying to clear her nose. "You're right. You're right, Ma." She gave a watery smile. "They love to dance, I'm sure they're just having a great time and didn't want to stop just to pick up a silly old phone!"

"That's right, hon. Now, why don't you help me hang these clothes up before you try callin' back. Give them some time to finish the record, then I'm sure they'll pick up." Edna herded Tracy outside, picking the basket back up on their way out. They spent the next ten minutes tensely hanging laundry together, trying not to be either too quick or too slow about it. Eventually though, they came to the end of the basket. "Alright Tracy, why don't you go call at Miss Maybelle's one more time. I'll bet you everythin's alright, you'll see." She only prayed she wasn't lying to her only daughter as she watched Tracy run up the stairs.

Brrrrrrrrrring.

Brrrrrrrrrring.

Brrrrrrrrrring.

Brrrrrrrrrri - "Motormouth Records, how can I help you?"

"Hello?"

"Hello."

"I - hello! Who's this?"

"This is Inez, can I help you?"

"Oh, Inez!" Tracy practically cried in relief. "It's Tracy! Did Penny stay with you last night?"

"Oh, hi Tracy! Yep, Momma let her sleep in my brother's room and made him sleep on the couch!"

Tracy sighed and slid, exhausted, into the chair next to the telephone. "That's great, Inez. Is Penny there now?"

"Naw, Momma took her to her place after church. I tried to tell her Penny could stay in my room with me, but Momma said she had to go at least talk to her Ma and try and patch things up." Someone shouted at Inez in the background. "I gotta go, Tracy, Latoya wants to call her boyyyyyfriend."

"Oh... alright then. Thanks, Inez."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow! Bye, Tracy!"

Inez hung up the phone, and Tracy slowly lowered the phone down to its holder. Penny was safe. She wasn't hurt. No one had died. She picked up the phone to call the Pingletons', but then remembered her last conversation at that number and put the phone down again. She supposed that Penny would be alright for at least one night with her mother - even if she did spend it tied to her bed for the most part- and she'd see Tracy as soon as she got to school in the morning and they could figure something out. She was afraid if she called now, she'd just get Penny into more trouble.

Tracy spent the rest of the afternoon a bit mollified and subdued, still worrying about her friend, but unable to really do much. She worked on homework in bits of time tucked around helping her dad stock inventory downstairs and folding clothes with her Ma. After a long dinner where Edna and Wilbur tried to bring her spirits up, she returned to her homework once more. She was in the middle of pitifully finishing up her last assignment for chemistry when the phone rang. Her ears perked up and she ran to the living room when her Ma shouted for her. Edna was smiling big and holding the phone out to her when she got there, snatching the phone up.

"Hello?"

"Tracy?" a familiar voice asked.

"Penny! Oh, Penny! Are you okay? I'm so, so sorry I didn't find you after the pageant!" Edna smiled at Tracy, happy to see her so relieved, and walked out of the room to give her some privacy.

"I'm fine, Tracy. I can't really talk, since Mom just let me out to go to the bathroom -"

"Oh no, Penny! She used the jump-rope again, didn't she?"

"No, Seaweed cut that apart when he came and got us Friday night. She's just locking me in my room until school tomorrow."

"Oh. Well, that's... good?"

"I suppose. She's still _really_ mad a me, but I'm _not_ going to stop dating Seaweed, so I'm not sure what to do - I don't want to be locked in my room for the rest of my life. I think I might ask my aunt if I can live with her from now on tomorrow after school."

"That would be fantastic, Penny! Or you can always stay with us - Ma already said it was okay for the week, and I'm sure she'd be okay with you living here. That would be so fun!"

"Yeah, it would. Thanks, Tracy." Penny paused. "I've got to go now," she whispered. "We'll talk more tomorrow, I think my Mom is coming back. Bye!"

"Bye Penny!" Tracy set the phone back down as her dad walked in the room, looking questioningly at the telephone.

"Everything okay, babe?"

Tracy smiled at him, and walked over to give him a hug. "I really think its gonna be. Penny's mom is being mean, but she's okay over there for now, and we'll figure something better out tomorrow."

He kissed the top of her head. "That's great, just great. I knew it would all work out fine. I'm going to look through some catalogs and see if I can't find some new gags for the store... or maybe even some souvenirs with you _and_ Link on them. Whaddaya think? Wanna help your old man out?"

"Thanks Dad, but I promised Ma I'd help her make cookies tonight after I finished my homework."

"Oh well. As long as I get to eat some of the results." He gave her a goofy grin and headed downstairs, leaving Tracy to join Edna in the kitchen.

By the time they were finished, the Turnblad women had turned out two batches of both peanut butter and oatmeal-raisin cookies (the only "snack" Edna allowed herself to eat while she was dieting), enough for Tracy to bring lots of extras for Link and Penny tomorrow. They hadn't meant to make quite so many, but they had turned on the radio and were having so much fun singing and dancing around the kitchen that they didn't really want to stop - so the baking had continued until close to midnight when Edna finally shooed Tracy out of the kitchen and off to bed.

* * *

(Bread - money)

* * *

AN: As anal a speller as I usually am, I am trying to write some affectation for Edna (because really, I just cant hear her saying rev-o-lu-tion-AIR-y- it'd be revolutionRY), so hopefully that's not annoying. I hope the Tracy bits are going okay - she's difficult for me to wrap my mind around sometimes, but i do think she tends to wear her heart on her sleeve sometimes. Also, the pace will definitely pick up soon. I just think these first few days are important, and so i'm trying to show them in detail to really set up the kind of relationship the characters have together for the rest of the story to be based off of.

Next promised update: Sunday, 10/11.

And thankyou thankyou thankyou to:

javasmoker - that was kind of my thinking, so i'm glad you think i'm filling the void.

amanda - thanks again! - i'm trying hard to get more of Tracy's character out there, but she's definitely harder for me to write since she's so genuine and i'm usually so sarcastic... :P

The OMW - thanks! And WOW. I watch movies a LOT - but not 37 times. You might be insane, its true. (: But i'm assuming you're also doing other things while you do that, right? I try to only count the times i would say i've watched the film in its entirety (or at least 90% or so), with little to no distraction.

Penny L. Pingleton - thank you! and i hope you approve of the little peek into Penny's life in this one. They will definitely be in the next chapter some, but for the most part this story is going to be focused on Link & Tracy, with interludes from the other characters every couple of chapters or so. At least, thats the plan at this point. Please give me some input into Penny if you'd like - since you seem to the expert!

^__^


	4. Chapter 4

standard disclaimer applies:

'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Tracy woke up Monday morning feeling the way she always did. Perhaps a bit better, even, as today was filled with so much promise. There was some trepidation as well - lots to figure out with Penny and Link - but Tracy was prone to look to the positive side of things.

She carefully took the rollers out of her hair - she had put them in last night out of habit, but now she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her hair. Go back to the old standard? She did really love her hair being that high, but she didn't want to look backward. At the same time ironing her hair again seemed silly since it had already been curled, so she decided to just use a tiny bit of hairspray to keep some of the curl in, but not rat it up any. It hung loosely around her shoulders, and bounced a bit when she bobbed her head. Really, it was quite fun this way, too - if it would stay.

'What to wear?' was a question that usually didn't weight too heavily on Tracy's mind, especially after she had realized that only one style of clothing appropriate for school hid the curves she didn't want to show off. But today, the first public day of her and Link's romantic association, she wanted to look... special. Something that he could look at her in and think 'Yes, I _do_ want to date that chick!' instead of comparing her to all the other girls and finding her lacking. Or rather _exceeding_. She was glad in that moment that she had gotten up early enough to rat her hair, because now it gave her time to pour through her closet. Tracy felt her mind slowly spin in circles that were inevitably leading downwards as she realized nothing could make her look like the other girls, and she hastily turned her radio on to help distract herself.

Finally choosing a purple skirt with a pleated flare at the bottom to go with her favorite blouse (she thought it had the most boy-appeal because at least it was cut a little lower than the rest, exposing quite a bit of her chest in comparison to the large collared shirts she usually wore), she went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. She declined the pancakes her Ma had made, not sure if her nervous stomach would appreciate them or not, and just grabbed a banana and some juice. It was only 7:15, but Tracy wasn't sure when Link was coming, so she sat by the window where she could see him drive up.

His baby blue cadillac pulled up in front of her house at 7:25 and she went running down to meet him at the door, surprising him just as he was about to knock.

"Good Morning, Link!" she greeted him. He smiled and she smiled back, momentarily thrown back into disbelief at the sight of him standing at her doorstep, looking as perfect as ever in his blue sweater and fitted gray slacks. 'I've really got to stop doing that soon,' she thought to herself, 'he's just a boy. Just a boy. That every other girl in Baltimore is dreaming of dating. Right.' She cleared her throat. "So... here you are!"

He laughed. "Here I am! Ready to go, darlin'?" Link held out his hand to her and she took it in affirmation, letting him escort her down to his car and help her get situated. They chatted idly about school, both glad they only had to endure three more days of school. It should have been over before the pageant, but a massive snowstorm had kept them out of school back in January and the snow days had to be made up. Still, the end was near, and Tracy couldn't wait to spend her summer dancing on the show and spending time with Link.

When they got to school Link took her hand to walk her inside, and her heart gave a little flutter. "So... can you give me a ride to the studio after school?" she asked.

"No show today, remember, Trace?" He squeezed her hand. "We've got two weeks off before the summer season starts up. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself next week without school or Corny Collins if you don't promise to keep me company." He finished with a wink and she grinned at him.

"Wow, I had completely forgotten! You're right, it'll be strange. But good. I'm going to sleep in till at least 10 every morning." Tracy squeezed his hand back and smiled up at him, "but after that, I'm all yours."

They walked into the front doors and Tracy held on to Link's hand with a bit more force for a moment before letting go. "My locker's this way," she said, nodding her head to the left, ready to say goodbye here in the hall.

"Okay," Link said, taking her hand back and walking her in the direction she had indicated. They kept walking, and Link greeted people along the way, not seeming to notice the occasional looks being thrown their way. Some were approving, but most were just skeptical, and a couple were downright nasty. Tracy hoped Link didn't notice, or didn't care, but thought it was more likely that he was just trying to ignore them, same as she was.

He walked her all the way to her locker, which was in the 'uncool' hallway. One of the boys who had a locker near her, as well as head-gear and the most adorably bad taste in clothing smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up, looking at Link. Link just raised his eyebrows in question at Tracy, who simply shrugged and grinned back, happy to be in familiar and safe territory.

She collected her books as Link leaned against the locker next to her, his steadfast blue gaze making her a little nervous. "Okay?" she asked.

"Better than okay," he said, stepping forward to kiss her forehead and take her hand again, starting to lead her away. "I've got the grooviest girl in school lettin' me hold her hand, baby, how could things be better?" Tracy felt reassured, but pulled Link to a halt.

"I usually wait for Penny here, but you can go on without me. I'll see you at lunch and in class later."

"That's alright, Trace, I've got time to kill, and I'd rather kill it with you."

"Groovy," she said with a smile, pulling him back to lean against the lockers. "Ohhh I hope I don't fail my tests today. I guess it doesn't matter too much, but it'd be nice to know I was gonna make it to senior year!" On top of all the excitement of integration, where Penny was going to live, and how little tingles went up her side where Link was leaning into her, was the threat of multiple tests today that she wasn't nearly prepared for.

"Don't worry, darlin' - I'm sure you'll do fine. You seem like a pretty smart chick to me. And I'm no dummy myself, so I think you should trust my judgment," he responded with a wink.

Tracy barked out a laugh. "Right. I hope your blind faith can magically put the right equations into my head at around 11:15, that would be swell."

"No problem, baby. Anything for you," and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the mouth that temporarily disarmed her. When he pulled back she looked into his eyes, trying to read in them what gift from the universe had decided to manifest itself in his brain and make him choose her.

He raised his eyebrows when she continued to stare, and she made a decision in that moment that her doubts and incredulity were going to be pushed into that box in her brain where her physical insecurities resided. Tracy was going to make the most of her time with Link, and enjoy his company and his smiles and find out what it was exactly that made him so gosh darn amazing. Because it was written all over his face and seemed to seep out of his pores, but Tracy now had a desire to know where it came from, where he came from, and what led him to being the coolest, and apparently sweetest guy in school.

Tracy reached up and very carefully fingered his signature curl, smiling at him. "You really are sweet. I'm not sure I would have expected that, with you being Mr. Cool, and all."

"Well, thanks darlin'. Not sure where that came from, though."

"Oh, nowhere. Just musing." Tracy looked past to see Penny walking up to them with Seaweed with his arm around her. "Hey, Penny!" she ran over to hug her friend, "I'm so sorry, again. How was your night?"

"It's fine, really, Tracy. And it was okay. Mom didn't catch me on the phone or anything. She didn't say anything to me this morning though, so I think I will go see my Aunt Martha after school and see if she'd mind me staying with her."

"But I thought you wanted to live with me!"

"I do, I mean... That would sure be lots of fun, Tracy, but I don't want to put your family out, and you don't really have an extra bedroom. But my aunt has plenty of space since her son moved out when he got married last year." She looked up at Seaweed as he snuck an arm around her waist. "Plus, she's a lot more _liberal _minded than my mom. It's part of the reason they don't really talk anymore."

"Well, that sounds pretty perfect, then! Do you want me to go with you?" Tracy then remembered Link, who had walked up to stand at her shoulder. "Is that okay with you Link? We didn't exactly make plans for after school, and you don't have to drive me home if you don't want to -"

"That's okay Tracy," Penny cut in, smiling around her sucker, "Seaweed's gonna come with me, so we can explain the situation to Aunt Martha. I don't want to hide anything from her, so I figure if she meets Seaweed now, she can see how great he is and she won't be able to say no!"

Seaweed himself was looking at Penny with something close to complete adoration; happy that he wouldn't have to be secret from the people she cared about. "Baby, I'll knock your Aunt's socks off if that's what you need me to do."

"Well, I don't know about her socks, but just be nice and friendly." Penny looked a little confused, but smiled good-naturedly anyway.

"And don't wink at her," Link added, remembering his first encounter with Edna. "Mother-types apparently don't react well to winks." Tracy sniggered. She had forgotten about that - it was a wonder her Ma had let her date Link at all.

"Don't worry about me, man," Seaweed responded, grinning at Link, "I know how to handle all types of ladies - don't matter the age or the color, none of them can resist this brother!" He held out his hand for a low-five, which Link slapped while laughing in agreement. Tracy smiled at their shared cockiness - apparently they had more in common than just dancing.

The warning bell rang then, and Seaweed waved a hasty goodbye before running down the hall, as his locker was on the other side of the school. Penny quickly fetched her books and walked beside Tracy and Link in the opposite direction. They stopped by Link's locker for his things as well, before he escorted them to their first class. Penny went in, giving them a few moments together before the bell rang.

"I'll see you at lunch, right darlin'?" Link asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"I'll be there!" She looked up into his blue eyes, before flicking her gaze down to his lips, silently willing him to kiss her one more time before class.

Her tactic worked and he bent his head to give her a quick kiss, before pulling back just a few inches to say, "Couldn't leave without givin' you a good luck kiss, now could I?" before kissing her once more. He stood up and looked down at her. "Good luck, Trace. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Thanks, Link." It was silly that she didn't want to see him go - it would only be a couple of hours till she saw him again. And she knew she'd make him late to class if he didn't go now, so she smiled at him one last time before turning to go into the room and find her seat in front of Penny. She took out her books and sighed, reminiscing about how good Link had looked in his sweater and how well he had gotten along with Seaweed. Tracy was just starting to have a lovely little daydream about she and Link and Penny and Seaweed being the best of friends, living next door to each other and sharing everything (they could be just like Lucy and Ethel!) when Penny poked her shoulder hard to get her to pay attention to the teacher.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tracy had never been so happy for the 11:45 bell. The past four hours had been utter torture, and she hurried to her locker in anticipation of being able to slam it closed in frustration. Link and Seaweed were already camped out in the hallway, working on a sliding dance move that was blocking traffic as much as amusing it. Tracy huffed, but smiled in spite of herself. Link constantly occupying her thoughts had not helped her this morning, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy to see him. Neither of the boys noticed her journey as she worked her way through the crowd a head shorter than her classmates, quickly packing away her books and grabbing her lunch as well as the packages of cookies wrapped in wax paper that had been stashed in her bag.

Penny appeared at her side, and immediately took one of the packages of cookies, knowing it was for her. "Thanks, Tracy! What flavor are they this week?"

"Peanut butter and oatmeal-raisin. We got a little carried away baking last night and made a double batch."

"Well, tell your Ma thanks for me. All I got for dinner last night were saltines, and these smell really yummy."

"I'm sorry, Pen! I should have remembered you were under house arrest, and I would have given them to you before classes!"

"Given her what?" Link asked, walking up to them with Seaweed just behind him. He rested his arm on her shoulder. He seemed to think she was the perfect height for an armrest, but it didn't really bother her. Any excuse Link found to touch her was okay by her.

"Cookies. Here, I brought you some, too," she said, handing packages to both he and Seaweed. Link looked shocked for just a second, then his face slowly split into a grin almost as big as the one he had worn Saturday night. If cookies were all it took to make him smile that big at her, she saw a lot of baking in her immediate future.

"Aw, Trace. You're just the most, you know that?" He asked, hugging her to him with one arm to place a kiss on the top of her head. "Thanks, doll."

"Yeah, thanks Tracy," Seaweed chimed in through a mouth of cookie. He hadn't wasted any time in getting out a cookie and handing one to his girlfriend. "These are great! Did you make these?"

"Me and my Ma. She likes to make cookies every weekend, and sometimes I help out if I don't have too much homework. We've been doing it for as long as I can remember, really. " Tracy was happy her friends enjoyed the cookies, but was more than ready for lunch. "Let's go eat some real food, first, though. I'm starving!"

They all started walking towards the cafeteria, Penny and Seaweed lingering behind Tracy and Link.

"So how'd your test go, baby?" Link asked, arm slung around her shoulders as they walked.

"Ugh!" Tracy threw her head back in disgust. "Horrible. And you didn't help, mister," she said, poking him in the chest. "Between thinking about you, Amber sending me nasty looks all period, and not actually having known the material in the first place, I'll be surprised if I managed a D on the final." She sighed loudly. "But, at least it's over now and I don't have to worry about it anymore."

"Well, I'm sure the history test next period will go better. If nothing else, I'm sure Amber will send at least half of her nasty looks my way."

The headed into the cafeteria and got into the lunch line. Tracy looked out warily over the tables, wondering how this was going to work out. She knew Link usually sat with Amber and the other council members. She and Penny had sat with them once or twice since she got on the show, but they still tended to sit at a table near the edge of the room by themselves or with a couple of other kids who had lockers near them. But all that awkwardness was completely blown out of the water by the fact that Seaweed was with them. All the colored kids sat at one end of the cafeteria, and never with the white kids. There wasn't a barrier or a rope like at the dances, it was just an unspoken, invisible line no one had crossed since they had started busing in the colored kids from North Avenue last year.

Tracy watched Link's face as he ordered his Salisbury steak and got potatoes portioned onto his plate. Was he up for all this? She hoped he was, because she really wanted to be able to sit with him today, but she didn't think she could leave Penny alone with Seaweed against the rest of the school. Plus, she had wanted to be able to sit with the detention kids for the past week, and now there was absolutely nothing stopping her except Link's possible reluctance.

She leaned into him as they went to the line to pay for their food. "Link?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, darlin?"

"Can we sit with Penny today?" He looked at her, seeming surprised that she even had to ask.

"Of course, Trace! I figured that's where we would sit, anyway, as Amber's still fuming."

She took a breath and locked eyes with him. "And with Seaweed?"

Tracy could see the exact moment it hit him. His jaw opened without actually parting his lips and his eyes widened just a fraction. Link glanced back to where Seaweed and Penny were still in line, then surveyed the lunchroom, scanning carefully from one end to the other and lingering on the council members at one end and the detention kids at the other. He took a deep breath and looked back down at her. "Yeah. And Seaweed." He paused. There was a nervous determination apparent in his gaze, but he tried to cover it up. "I mean, he's our friend, too, right? And there's no rule sayin' we can't sit with our friends."

Tracy beamed at him in happiness. "There sure isn't."

They paid for their food at the cashier and waited for Penny and Seaweed. Tracy pointed to a table next to the colored kids tables that was almost completely empty, as if it were the unspoken buffer zone to keep the races separate. "I was thinking maybe that table would be best."

Link inclined his head. "Yeah, okay." He still looked a bit nervous, and glanced back at the council members, a few of whom had turned to regard the couple with interest. Sketch even motioned them over, but Link cut him off with a curt nod, and he sat back down looking confused, which caused even more eyes to turn towards them. A mask of nonchalance slid over Link's features as Tracy studied his face, and he looked down to her and winked. "We should invite Inez to sit with us, too, if she wants. She is Miss Teenage Hairspray, you know, and I like to sit with the best dancers around."

Tracy giggled and agreed while marveling at his ability to slip into his cool TV persona, especially when she had seen proof that he wasn't as nonplussed about the situation as he seemed. Penny and Seaweed were finally next to them and Tracy pointed to the table she had picked out.

"Really?" Seaweed asked, eyebrows raised. "Even cracker-boy, here?"

"Hey man, I'm cool. You should ask your sister if she wants to sit with us, too."

Seaweed just stared at Link for a second. "Well, alright then. Let's hit it." He led the way to the table, with Link behind him and the girls trailing after them. The lunchroom got a bit quiet, as most everyone stopped to watch their progress towards the colored end of the room. The boys sat down next to each other, facing the white half of the room and the girls sat across from them, facing the detention kids. Seaweed twisted around and cocked his head at Inez, who got up and dragged another girl with her, coming to sit beside her brother and motioning her friend to sit next to Penny.

"Hey guys, this is my friend Sally."

Everyone introduced themselves before an awkward silence fell over them, making them realize just how quiet the rest of the lunchroom had gotten. Tracy cleared her throat and searched for something to say.

"Seaweed, I'm so excited I'll get to dance with you and Inez in a couple of weeks on the show. Its gonna be so hip!"

Seaweed and Link purposefully picked up the conversation and soon all six of them were chatting about the show and how it would change with all the new council members. They got so drawn into their own discussion and predictions that eventually they forgot about their audience and just had a good time enjoying each other's company. Tracy occasionally caught herself staring at Link and watching his eyes light up, his cool persona melting away as he laughed with Seaweed and Inez about some of the "whiter" dances he had been forced to do while on the show. She wished she had a camera; she would have liked a picture of his nose crinkled in laughter better than all those staged photos she had in her room now.

The end of lunch bell rang and the group slowly got up, cleaning up and putting away their trays. The crowds of students had maintained a little barrier around them, but no one started name-calling or shoving, so Tracy figured they'd gotten off pretty easy, all things considered. She walked with Link to his locker, and waited patiently next to him as he got his books out for history. While she was waiting, Darla and Tammy came up to her, which was surprising since most people (especially in this hallway) were still keeping their distance from the controversial couple.

"Hi Tracy. I like your hair," Darla said, reaching out to finger one of the loose curls. "It's really pretty like this."

"Thanks, Darla. I thought you danced really well Saturday night," she said, "I was watching from the catwalks above the stage."

"Oooh, that's where you were hiding?" Tammy asked, suddenly interested in the conversation. "Velma was so angry when no one could find you!"

"Yep. We tricked the cops into carrying me inside while I was hiding in one of the hairspray can props outside, then I ran up to the catwalks before Velma could spot me. It was really lucky it all worked out."

"Wasn't it scary?" Darla asked, leaning forward. "Corny offered to take all the council members on a tour of the catwalks once, but I didn't go because I'm afraid of heights."

"Oh, gosh, was it ever! But it was also really neat to be able to watch everyone from way up high." Link came up behind her, eyeing the girls a bit suspiciously.

"Hey, Link. You did a great job dancing Saturday night. I'm really happy with the way things turned out, aren't you?" Tammy asked, looking at him sincerely. Tracy wasn't fully immersed in all the inner workings of the council, but she did know that Tammy had been close with Amber at one point. It seemed like she wanted to disassociate herself from that friendship now, perhaps.

Link paused and raised his eyebrows a bit before answering. "I sure am." He spoke slowly, making sure he was getting his point across, "It would have been great if Trace had won, but I'm really excited that we'll get to dance with Inez and Seaweed and some of the other kids from Negro day."

The girls both nodded somberly, as if to say, 'yes, we get it, Link.' Tracy decided to pipe up in their favor.

"Inez was showing all three of us some new moves Saturday night while you were talking to the agent, Link," she said, motioning to the girls. "These guys were really picking it fast!" Okay, that was probably a bit of an exaggeration, she but she really appreciated that they were trying to extend an olive branch to her and Link.

"Oh!" Link smiled at them and slung his arm back around Tracy's shoulders. "That's great. We'll all be ready for the summer season, then." He checked his watch. "Well, we better get goin' Trace, we still have to get your stuff before we head to class. We'll see you two around, alright?" The girls agreed and then walked off as Link started to lead Tracy down the hallway, bound for their last class of the day.

* * *

AN: Oooooooooh segregation issues! its weird to think about, especially when i know both my parents attended segregated high schools in the south... Then i grew up in Alaska, where there are no black people. No, seriously. There are no black people. (ok, you're right, there were 6 in our town. Two were only half. I'm not even joking.)

Also, is it weird for anyone else to write/read the word 'baby' as a term of affection? i want to say 'babe' because it sounds better to me, but i know in reality plenty of people are comfortable saying 'baby' – and in the movie Seaweed uses it, whereas the only person who uses 'babe' is Wilbur, so I think its an older generation thing… maybe?

Next promised update: Sunday, 10/18.

And thankyous thankyous thankyous to:

javasmoker - thanks again! we're goin back to Link for the next chapter, but the one after that will be penny/seaweed/edna, etc focused, i think.

amanda - i'm glad you're still enjoying it! i hope i answered your school question in this chapter - i just think since they didn't mention the end of school at all in the film, that they probably still had a couple days or something. I'm not sure who would still be in public high school in June anyway, but I wanted them to get a little taste of all the changes coming their way. And as for summer vacation.... i'm not sure yet. How much fluff do you want? :P

^__^


	5. Chapter 5

standard disclaimer applies:

'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Link hadn't really worried about school. He picked Tracy up Monday morning, and walked with her to her locker when they reached school. They had gotten some strange looks from people, but Link ignored them. If they didn't like them together, they could get bent.

Tracy had seemed a little nervous walking through the halls, but held steadfastly onto his hand. Link wasn't unaware that she had not been popular in the slightest before getting on the show – that much was evident by the location of her locker. But he fully intended for her locker to be right next to his next year, so it wasn't worth worrying about now. He hardly thought that after everything that went down Saturday night, his being seen in the uncool part of the school would make any difference. Besides, there were only three days of school left, and then they wouldn't have to worry about the social hierarchy of Patterson High for three whole months anyway.

He carefully observed Tracy as she gathered her books from her locker. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and her blouse was a little lower-cut than normal, showing off ample smooth, soft skin. And she still smelled fantastic, although there was a tiny hint of hairspray accompanying the smell of cookies and vanilla. There was also a tiny furrow between her brows which made him smile, wondering what it was over. Overall, he just thought she was adorable and couldn't keep a tiny smile off of his face as he congratulated himself on finally snagging a girl who could make him happy, instead of just popular.

When Tracy questioned his staring, he reassured her that it was nothing bad, and told her he would wait for Penny with her. She kept thinking he was going to run off to hang out with the other council kids or something, which he supposed wasn't a horrible assumption given his standing and behavior in the past. Also, if Tracy really hadn't ever had a boyfriend before, maybe she didn't realize that he was gonna want to be with her all the time. 'Well, she'll catch on soon enough,' Link thought, and smiled at her as she worried out loud about all the tests she had that day. Her hands were flapping about as she talked, and Link was jealous of the energy that always exploded out of her, even before 8 o'clock in the morning.

He reassured her that she'd be fine – he certainly wouldn't be dating her if she were dumb. Their banter had made her smile and laugh, and he felt he had accomplished his goal. Also, he thought he should get a little prize and stole a quick kiss - well, maybe not _that _quick - before she knew what he was doing. She stared at him with wide, chocolate eyes when he pulled back. Tracy seemed to be searching his eyes for something, so he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Before responding, she slowly smiled and reached up to finger his signature curl, careful not to mess it up. "You really are sweet," she said, "I'm not sure I would have expected that, with you being Mr. Cool, and all."

Link smiled and refrained from saying something horribly cheesy that might reveal just how sweet he thought _she_ was, instead just thanking her for the compliment.

They were interrupted a minute later by the arrival of Penny and Seaweed, who looked just as enamored with each other as he was with Tracy. He wasn't sure why Penny was trying to move out of her house, but he figured it was just something he'd ask Tracy about later, instead of making Penny give him the whole story here in the middle of the hallway.

He liked watching Tracy talk with her best friend. There was such genuine emotion and caring between the two of them, as opposed to the false smiles and constant gossiping that the council members usually partook of. Link wondered for a moment if that was just something only popular kids did, or if Tracy and Penny were really that special. Maybe there was a sliding scale or something – the less popular you were, the more genuine you got to be with your friends?

Eventually the warning bell rang and he escorted the girls to their first class, making sure Tracy would wait for him before lunch. Link knew that as soon as he got away from her, he'd have to face the rest of the world and all their opinions, making him hesitate. It was so easy to block out the world – to just be himself – when Tracy was there next to him. He caught her staring at his lips and took the hint to kiss her one last time before class, lingering for a moment on her lips and trying to hold on to the feeling of sweetness and security kissing her gave him.

He ran to class, barely making it to class before the tardy bell rang. He slid into his seat next to his lab partner Sketch, who chuckled under his breath at Link's flustered state.

"Busy morning?" he whispered. "I 'scoped you holdin' hands with Tracy earlier, right?"

Link glanced at him while pulling out his books, but Sketch didn't seem to be asking in an incriminating tone, so he smiled and whispered back, "Yeah, man. Took her out after the show Saturday night."

Mr. Stevens started class before they could continue their discussion, but Link's spirits were already lifted. Maybe it wouldn't be entirely uphill battle, after all. Then again, Sketch was definitely one of the most open-minded guys on the show, in a very specific way. It was part of the reason they got on so well. If somebody could dance, like the detention kids or Tracy could, then it really didn't matter in their books what they looked like. Sketch was also probably the only person Link could think of who actually had more energy than Tracy.

As they were leaving, Sketch remembered his curiousity.

"So, no more Amber, then?"

"No. No more Amber." Sketch gave him an unexpected high-five. Because of his afformentioned predeliction towards _good_ dancers, Sketch had never been a huge fan of Amber. "Its gonna be nice, man. I feel like I can really be myself with Tracy - she's not judging me all the time."

"Tracy? You guys are really dating?" Brad interrupted, catching up to the boys on their way to 2nd period. "I thought that was, just, like, heat of the moment or something Saturday night."

"Well, its not," Link replied.

"I mean, don't get me wrong or anything - Tracy's a cool chick, and a great dancer, but I dunno, man... Isn't she a little _big_ for you?"

Link cringed at having his words unknowingly thrown back in his face. "No, she's not." He knew he was going to have to come up with a more detailed response to their questions soon.

"Wow, man. Never really took you for a chubby chaser. Or are you just thinking she'll put out easy? I know Amber was holding out on you."

Link was fuming at the thought of somebody taking advantage of Tracy's innocence, but he also understood where Brad was coming from. Brad was as obsessed with popularity and image as Amber was. Perhaps even more so, because it was all internal for him - none of it was forced on him through an overbearing mother. Link stopped and looked pointedly at Brad, and Sketch stopped to watch their interaction with interest.

"Look, Brad. Tracy is a great girl, and I like her, and I _like_ the way she looks." He rested a hand on Brad's shoulder forcefully, wanting to make sure he got the point so he didn't start spreading rumors. "There's nothing more to it than that - Tracy's not fast. Amber holding out on me or not has got nothing to do with it." He slowly removed his hand and resumed walking, the other two pausing before catching up. "And I don't think i'm a 'chubby chaser'," he said, frowning at the term, "but I do think that maybe I like girls with a few more curves on them. I've had enough of all these skinny girls with their pointy bras and fake curves. Tracy's curves are _real_ and _soft_," he said with a leering smile, "_and_ she knows how to shake 'em."

Both Sketch and Brad laughed at that, Brad slapping his hand playfully on his own ass as a reminder of the day they had met Tracy in detention. "Yeah, okay, man," Brad laughed, "I get it. I mean, I kind of don't - but to each his own, right?"

"Exactly. Thanks, man." Link smiled back, happy to have successfully jumped one hurdle.

The rest of morning classes passed more or less uneventfully considering the circumstances, with the exception of his exit from 3rd period. Amber had fumed at him silently through the entire class, trying to bore a whole in the side of his head with her glare, and storing up her energy and insults for when they left the room so she could publicly harangue him in front of the largest audience possible.

"I cannot _believe_ you kissed that roach-infested whale of a girl on TV! If you even think I would _consider_ taking you back after a stunt like that, you've obviously got mashed potatoes for brains." She stomped her foot and shoved her books into his hands so she could angrily remove his ring from her finger and shove it in his hand, making a couple of girls in the crowd gasp. "Here, give this to your little whore of a girlfriend, Link. I'm sure she won't mind a few more grass-stains on her back if it means she can have the opportunity to wear your chintzy little ring."

Link had heard enough, and threw her books on to the ground with a crash that made both Amber and their crowd of spectators jump. "Just shut _up_, Amber." She had crossed her arms and was regarding him with narrowed eyes, challenging him. "Tracy is _not_ like that, and you know it. You're just such a stuck-up _bitch_ that you can't even contemplate someone not wanting to be with you." He poked a finger towards her chest. "Tracy is a better person than you could ever dream of being, and you know it. I hope your looks take you far, Amber, because as soon as people see you for who you really are, they'll drop you as fast as they can, just like I did."

He ran a hand over the side of his hair, turning away from her and walking towards his next class, but it seemed she wasn't quite finished yet.

"Link Larkin! Don't you walk away from me!" He turned halfway back around to find her standing in the middle of the hallway, her hands balled in fists by her side. "You'll regret the day you ever set eyes on that monstrous excuse for a girl. Don't even _think_ about running back to me after you've realized you don't want to date a lump of lard, because I'm _through_ with you. You're going to regret this. You just wait and see how many agents want to sign a guy who dances with niggers and fat girls!" Some of the crowd gasped again, realizing what Link might have given up to be with Tracy, but Link just smiled serenely at Amber.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just have to live with that risk," he said with a wink, and pulled Ms. Harrison's business card casually out of the pocket where it had been burning a hole all morning, lazily flipping it about between his fingers. He raised his eyebrows condescendingly at Amber's shocked expression before turning on his heel and sauntering away from the scene, relishing in the whispers he could here starting behind his back.

* * *

Link and Seaweed had been let out of Mr. Johnson's class as soon as their Trigonometry final was completed, and they staked out a spot near Tracy and Penny's locker to wait, both leaning casually against the wall. Seaweed had set his books down and crossed his arms, while Link kept holding his with one arm, one hand in his pocket and one foot slid up the wall behind him.

"So. You and Penny?"

"Yeah. Have to admit I was pretty much hooked from the first time Tracy brought her to detention. Never woulda thought I'd be this gone over a white chick, but man, am I ever." He seemed to get lost in a Penny-centric daydream for a moment. "Have you _seen_ her with that little red sucker, man? She can't be _that_ naive. She's trying to kill me for sure."

Link laughed and shifted his weight. "Maybe she is man, but what a way to go. And yeah, never really saw myself falling for somebody like Tracy, either. But now that I really see her, I don't think I'll ever look at girls the same way."

Seaweed grinned at him. "Naw, we've both been ruined for other women."

They fell silent for a moment, each searching silently for common ground to talk about, only to awkwardly start back up at the same moment.

"Congratulations on the -"

"So are you gonna start up -"

Both guys chuckled and looked down. Link spoke again.

"So, you're starting on the show when we start up again for summer season, right?"

"I think so. It was a bit hectic Saturday night, but I think that's whats going to happen. I'll have to remember to ask my Mom if Corny told her anything more."

"Cool. You're a great dancer." Link didn't say this lightly - those moves Seaweed had showed off on the way to his Mom's party Thursday afternoon had had Link totally transfixed. "I can't wait to finally get to do some hipper moves on the show now that Velma's gone."

"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything," he grinned again, "but some of the moves you guys were doing were so stiff man. I mean, you're a good dancer and all, but..." he tailed off and Link decided to take the bait.

"What do you mean, 'good'? I'm the best dancer on the show!" Link straightened up off the wall and did a quick little hip thrust-slide move. "And if you can't see how much soul these hips have got, you're obviously blind!"

Both boys laughed and continued to show off dance moves for each other, copying and teaching as they went, not really noticing as the hallway became increasingly crowded.

Penny appeared out of the crowd eventually, watching Seaweed complete his turn with an impish, knowing smirk on her face. When he turned around to face her, she quickly stuck her sucker back into her mouth and smiled innocently at him.

"Hey baby," the dark boy greeted, stepping to her side. "Ready for lunch?"

"Yep. Just let me grab Tracy," she said, quickly disappearing through the press of students.

Link wished he was a taller for the thousandth time as he craned his head to try and see if Tracy was by her locker. He quickly realized that between his very average height and her very diminuitive one, there was no way he would be able to see her. She could have walked right past him without his noticing. On the up side, though, Link quite liked how tall she made him feel. He pushed his way through the students to find Tracy had given Penny a little package and was exclaiming something about being under house arrest - he _really_ had to ask Trace about that later.

Tracy's brow was still a little furrowed; he was guessing it hadn't been the best of mornings for her, but she still smiled at him when he rested his forearm on her shoulder.

And then, that darling, darling little gal whom he had had the great fortune of taking out just this Saturday previous, well, she handed him a perfectly wrapped little wax paper package filled with _cookies_. Real, _homemade_ cookies. Link closed his eyes and brought the package to his face to smell it, unable to stop the smile that split his face from ear to ear. His reaction to homemade cookies was always a bit embarrassing, but they stirred up an emotional response of such happiness that he couldn't possibly contain himself, and he hugged Tracy to him and kissed the top of her forehead in thanks.

Seaweed had already opened his package and Link happily gleaned from their quick conversation that Tracy baked with some consistency. He tried not to swoon.

They walked to the cafeteria, and Link quickly surveyed the tables, figuring it would be best to just sit where Tracy normally sat with Penny for the time being, as opposed to facing the council - although it might have been the braver thing to do. So when Tracy asked if they could sit with Penny, he happily agreed.

Then she asked about Seaweed.

Link was jerked violently back into the realization that Saturday night had not been all about Tracy and Link; a big big part of it had been all about Seaweed and Inez. He looked at the lunchroom, noticing how even though they had won integration for the show, the school still appeared to be as unofficially segregated as it ever was. A part of him was shouting that this was too far, that all his hard earned status and popularity would come tumbling down if he did this - and then who would want him?

Then he felt Tracy accidentally bump into his side, and he realized two things. First, that Tracy would want him - more importantly that she might _not_ if he didn't man up to this, and secondly, that doing the right thing on the show was what _had_ gotten him an interview with the agent. Link had always thought racism was stupid, but had never really had a reason to act against it. Now he did, and it was easier to do than he thought it would have been, especially since it seemed like he wouldn't have to sacrifice much to stand up for equal rights.

"Yeah," he replied finally, "and Seaweed." He glanced back at Seaweed once more, and recalled the time they had just spent in the hallway together. Seaweed was definitely a cool cat, and someone who could turn out to be a real, genuine kind of friend if he didn't botch things up. "I mean, he's our friend, too, right? And there's no rule sayin' we can't sit with our friends."

Tracy's resulting smile set forth a chiming of 'ding-ding-ding! correct response!' bells inside his head. Seaweed's impressed reaction to Link's compliance and suggestion of including Inez helped reinforce his decision, too.

He quickly recompiled his composure before they set off towards the table Tracy had suggested, acutely aware of the gazes of most of the student body as well as the entirety of the council members. He and Seaweed instinctively sat facing the white half of the room, wanting to be able to see trouble before it arrived. Conversation between the six of them (Inez had brought a friend) was stilted at first, but quicker than he would have expected it had morphed into a heated debate about what they could expect on the show in a couple of weeks. Inez seemed to think that since she was the lead dancer, she would get to decide which dances everybody did. Her little power trip was cut short by the issue of couples dancing - were the couples going to get mixed up, too? Would Link get to dance with Tracy because they were dating, or would he dance with Inez since she was the lead dancer? By the end of lunch, Link managed to forget almost entirely about the rest of the school and just enjoy the company of people he really wanted to be able to call his friends.

After lunch, Link was mentally preparing himself for the last daunting task of the school day: Tracy, Amber, and himself all in the same 12-foot radius at one time. The worst result of him not sitting with the council at lunch was that Amber would have had the time to convert as many members as she could to her point of view. This made Link both extra cautious and extra pleased when the little interaction Darla and Tammy had with Tracy as he collected his books turned out in their favor. He wasn't overly surprised by Darla, as she had always been on the fringes of the group, but Tammy was a bit of a shock. As much as one could consider themselves 'friends' with Amber, he thought that Tammy would have fallen into that category. But she seemed to sincerely be approving of both Link and Tracy's new relationship, and the integration of the show, so he figured he should give her the same opportunity to do the right thing that Tracy had given him.

* * *

The assigned seats that had worked out so splendidly in his favor at the beginning of the year were now a horrible task to be endured: in the corner, next to only Amber, and so far away behind Tracy that he couldn't even see her unless she turned all the way around to look at him.

Link and Tracy were already seated when Amber sauntered in. Tracy had been looking at him, but turned quickly towards the door when she saw his eyes widen. There was a newly restored confidence radiating from Amber, and Link wanted to wave a red caution flag at Tracy, knowing that after their row a couple hours previous, she must have something nasty planned in order to look that happy. The blonde princess started to walk down the aisle towards her seat, smiling a suspiciously benign smile that did nothing to calm his nerves. She stopped at Tracy's desk, pinning the larger girl to her seat with an intense gaze accompanied by a sickly sweet expression. Tracy's body language looked wary and defensive, and Amber nonchalantly leaned over the larger girl and whispered something softly enough that Link couldn't hear it from his corner. The black girl sitting just beyond Tracy in his line of sight, however, stiffened and cringed in her seat at whatever was spoken. Tracy's back was tenser than he had ever seen it, and she quickly turned, darting back to look at him nervously for a split second before facing forward again. Link didn't have time to really interpret her expression or send any encouragement back her way. Amber's smile stayed constant throughout the exchange, and she stood up again with a little impish noise when Mr. Flak asked her to take her seat.

As soon as the teacher had turned around to write on the chalkboard, Link was leaning over his seat to angrily whisper at his ex-girlfriend. "_What_ did you say to her, Amber?"

"Oh, don't worry Link," she said patronizingly, "I just congratulated her on snagging the _hippest_ boy in school," that infuriating smile was still cemented on her face, and she cocked her head to the side in mockery as she complimented him. Then she pointedly returned to her notes, smirking to herself, and Link felt his stomach drop disconcertingly. She must have said something absolutely horrible if she was that pleased with herself. And Tracy had the strength of character to not take shit from anyone, so it must have struck a chord with her or she would have retaliated against Amber. He looked back up at Tracy, but her back was to him and he could only hope that she wouldn't put too much stock in whatever Amber had said.

Link kept his eyes trained on Tracy practically the whole period, but she never once looked back to throw him a smile or blow him a kiss as she had done before Amber rained on their parade. As soon as the bell rang, Link was at Tracy's side, taking her hand and pulling her out of the room before Amber could say anything else. Out in the hallway, he turned around to find Tracy's eyes decidedly not meeting his for a moment, before she visibly wrestled a smile onto her face and turned those giant brown eyes up to his. He squeezed her hand where it was still locked in his, "You know that whatever Amber said was a lie, right?"

"Oh yeah, I know." Tracy replied, only half-convincingly. She pulled him down the hallway with their joined hands. Link frowned to himself, not knowing how to counteract what Amber had said without asking Tracy what it was. Unfortunately, knowing Amber's vocabulary and propensity for cruelty, he didn't think it would be anything Tracy would want to repeat back to him, especially if her not-so-subtle fleeing of the scene was any indication.

After dropping things off at their respective lockers, Tracy still seemed a bit distant. Link turned her to face him after she closed her locker, and she leaned back against the locker, looking up at him through dark eyelashes. The tiny furrow between her brows that had finally disappated during lunch was back again. He wanted to smooth it away, but instead pushed her hair behind her ear with one hand and reached for her own soft hand with his other.

"I'm sorry, Link. I know Amber was just being mean," she said, looking back down to their entwined fingers. "And I should be used to it by now, I really should, but she still manages to get under my skin every once in a while."

Link realized in that moment that Tracy and he had had _very_ different school experiences. While he was adored and admired by the entire student body, Tracy had been outcast and mocked for being different. And not just in high school, he was sure - he flashed on a memory of himself and his friends making fun of a fat boy in their class in elementary school and cringed internally. If she hadn't have been such an amazing dancer, would Link have ever looked twice at her? Probably not.

But he looked at her now. And she still looked a bit sad, but was already regrouping. She reached behind her to wrestle her radio out of her bag and turn it on, looking back to him with a strengthened smile.

Even though she had endured years of what must have been an intimidating and unpleasant social life, she was still upbeat and positive, all the time. She had a smile for everyone; she baked cookies for her friends; she stood up for other people instead of letting them endure the unfair treatment that she was used to; she radiated confidence and energy; she was the most amazing little dancer he had ever seen. Link grabbed her hand again and cupped the side of her face. "Darlin', you're just somethin' else, you know that?" She cocked her head in response, and he kissed her reverently for a moment, so thankful that she had opened his eyes to the world beyond white kids dancing on TV. It might be a harder life, but he knew in his gut that it would be much more rewarding, too.

"Thanks, Link." She said, winking to lighten the mood, "I do what I can."

Tracy looked above his head to the clock on the wall. "Oh wow," she said, looking up at him, "Its only half past one! I'm so used to not getting home until almost six! Maybe I'll actually be ready for my last 3 finals!" She laughed at herself. "Well, maybe. That is, if I don't fall asleep trying to study."

"What makes you think I'm going to let you go home to study, Trace?" Link smiled enigmatically and took off down the hall, Tracy skipping her steps to catch up to him.

"Are you proposing to kidnap me, Mr. Larkin?" she gasped in mock outrage.

"Well, I need some moral support for when I call the agent later, and if I have to drag you kicking and screaming, well, then, so be it, baby." He threw her a wink as she squealed in excitement, hair flying in all directions as she bounced around.

"Oh my gosh, Link! I completely forgot! This is so exciting!" Tracy clapped her hands together in front of her. "You're going to be a big star, Link, I just know it." She turned up the volume on the radio still hanging from her bag and grabbed his hand, now pulling him excitedly down the hallway and dancing to the beat at the same time. She looked crazy and beautiful at the same time, and the grin that was going to put permanent wrinkles in his face returned with a vengeance as he followed her, catching her infectious excitement and dancing his way out the front doors hand in hand with his gal.

* * *

AN: Another long Link chapter. I always mean to get further along, but then I realize how long the chapter is getting and decide to cut it short. Next chapter is going to be very different, and is a little daunting because of it.

Next promised update: Sunday, 10/25.

Also.... Please please please review!!!! Tell me what you think!  
(tooooo slow? too fluffy? too much smiling?)  
Feedback is greatly appreciated!  
And it encourages me to write faster, fasure.

^__^


	6. Chapter 6

standard disclaimer applies: 'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Edna grabbed her purse and the neatly tied package of cleaned and pressed laundry on her way out the door. She had forgotten how easy it was to lose track of time before you had to be somewhere. Rushing down the stairs, she paused to poke her head into the Hardy-Har-Hut on her way to the bus stop.

"Bye, hon- I'm going to drop off Mrs. Preston's order. Anything special you want for dinner?"

Wilbur turned towards his wife's cheerful face in the doorway. "Nope, anything you make is delicious. Just get what looks good, babe!" She smiled brightly and blew him a little kiss before disappearing down the street.

Mrs. Preston's laundry used to be picked up by her son, as she was too old to come herself. But Edgar was out of town for the foreseeable future (he had a girlfriend in New York who had finally convinced him to stay up there with her - about time, if you asked Edna), so Edna had volunteered to bring it herself when he asked yesterday on the phone if she had anyone who made deliveries. Mrs. Preston's home was only 15 minute bus ride away, and it was good for Edna to continue to have an reason to leave her house. She was a little nervous about being out on her own - lately she had only really been going out with Tracy or Wilbur - but she steeled her resolve and pictured all those brave colored people at that march Friday night. She should be able to go anywhere she wanted to go, and people who thought different, well, they could just mind their own business, thank-you very much.

She took a deep breath, calming herself and taking in the fresh Baltimore morning. The sky was dotted with clouds, and the city smelled faintly like seawater and gasoline. It might have been off-putting for some, but for a woman who had grown up in Baltimore, and had spent the last eleven years breathing in nothing but laundry fumes, it smelled like the freedom of her childhood.

There was a little old woman sitting on one end of the bus stop bench when she arrived, and Edna couldn't help but smile at her. It was so great to see all different kinds of people again, live and in color, instead of the picture perfect stars she was used to seeing in black and white on her television every day. She had almost forgotten how many different kinds of people there were, and how unique they all looked. It made her feel better.

As the bus arrived, she felt her stomach drop significantly. She had already decided that this was a fear she had to face. It was over ten years since that night, and it shouldn't be influencing her life anymore. How was she ever going to be a good role model to Tracy if she couldn't get past this? Her Tracy certainly didn't lack courage, but Edna feared it was only a matter of time until something happened that would dampen that spirit. If Edna couldn't move past the events that held her back, it would be hypocritical for her to tell Tracy to do the same.

Edna narrowed her eyes and set a grim line of determination across her features, fishing the change out of her purse and standing up to get on the bus after the little old woman. She paid her fare and surveyed the available seats, holding onto the metal handrail as the bus pulled away before she could decide. There was an open pair of seats halfway down the aisle, and she made her way unsteadily towards them as the bus rocked, managing to stifle the blush of embarrassment when she had to turn sideways to fit down the aisle, making her movements choppy and awkward. She settled into her seat and took a deep breathe.

'See? Just fine. Nothing to worry about. It's just a bus, and these are just people. Just other ordinary people trying to get to wherever they need to go. They aren't even thinking about you,' Edna thought to herself. She turned to look out the window, watching the streets pass by. The bus steadily filled with people as it neared her destination. The seat next to hers was the last one open, and she again fought her embarrassment as she realized that it was really more like half of a seat, or even a third of one. She looked down into her lap so she didn't have to watch people decide to stand instead of try and squish themselves into the tiny portion of seat on her right side. 'It's okay. No one is going to say anything. It's okay.' She repeated her mantra to herself. 'The people making these buses are just midgets who have no sense of what size to make a seat.'

Edna almost jumped when she felt a warm body settle next to her. When she looked quickly to her left, her eyes widened in surprise at finding a very dark-skinned black boy who couldn't have been older than ten. He was wearing long blue shorts and a green and blue plaid shirt, and was also resolutely staring into his lap. As if he felt her gaze, he looked up slowly, meeting her eyes with some trepidation - as if she were going to get mad at him for sitting there next to her. Trying to dispel his fear, she quickly smiled at him and watched an expression of surprise crossed his face, before he shyly smiled back at her.

Edna looked forward again and released a happy sigh. The world was finally changing, and it was a wonderful thing.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Inez had insisting being a pain in Seaweed's ass _all night_ after Maybelle had taken Penny home. He loved his sister, really he did, but she could get him riled up to the point of cursing faster than anyone on the planet. And tonight she just wouldn't shut up about his and Penny's relationship: When did they start dating? Did he love her? Why was he dating a white girl? How far had they gone? Didn't he know Janetta had a crush on him? Why did he pick Penny over Janetta? If he was going to date a white girl, why didn't he date Tracy? And when she finally found something else to occupy her time (through a cunning assertion of his that Corny might be _interested_ in their mom), questions about Penny refused to get out of his head.

He knew that dating Penny was not going to be the easiest thing in the world, even if both of their families were supportive. Fortunately, his was for the most part (if you disregarded Inez's constant questioning). Unfortunately, Penny's mother was.... a problem. Seaweed didn't know where her father was, but if his opinion of black people was the same as his wife's, Seaweed could hardly imagine how hard it was going to get whenever he came back from where ever he was (a subject Penny seem to dodge with some frequency). And more importantly, could he even ask Penny to give up her family like that? He loved her, he was sure of that, and the idea that being with him would mean she had to give up her family left him feeling guilty and unsure. He knew that Penny didn't particularly appreciate her mother's discipline, bigotry, and religious fervor, but did that mean she wanted to give up her mother completely?

On the other hand, Penny Pingleton was the best thing that had happened to him since they had opened up Patterson Park High to colored kids. His mother had insisted they go and get a good education: "the same one those white folks are getting - that's what you're gonna get Seaweed. Ain't no reason their school should be better than ours, but we gotta mix it up a little before they're ever going to realize it." Sure, his classes were fractionally more difficult, and they had all the school supplies and textbooks and never had to share, but sometimes he really missed getting to see _all_ of his friends at school, instead of just the ones with equally progressively minded parents. Add to that the fact that because there were so few of them, there were never more than one or two colored kids in any class, and school ended up being a constant dampener on Seaweed's usually positive and laissez-faire attitude towards life.

And then one day, Tracy had brought her friend to detention and Seaweed felt his heart stop. Her face hit him like a slap in the face. There was a _reason_ he was at this school, why he endured the constant detentions for no reason other than he was different and the resulting lack of any social life, and that reason was smiling at him with pigtails and a little red sucker. She was a perfect blend of innocence and deviousness, and gorgeous to boot. Penny might be naive at times, but there was a _bad_ little rebellious streak that Seaweed couldn't wait to expose to the world. He'd gotten his first real taste of that last night, as she had to make a dress for the show out of her curtains since that was the only thing they had taken from her room after they had used them to climb out the window. There was plenty of fabric there - no one had suggested she make it that form-fitting, that was all her idea, as was that little peek-a-boo stripe of pale thighs on the skirt. Jesus, just thinking about her in that little blue dress turned his insides out and sent all his blood rushing southward.

Seaweed sighed and put away his textbooks. He had been attempting to study for the last couple of tests he had to endure before summer vacation, but he was so distracted now he didn't think it would do any good. Instead he went to bed and lay awake, wondering if Penny would still want to be his girlfriend in the morning, or if her mother would have shipped her off to some convent in Patagonia for the theatrics she had pulled the night before.

- - - - - - -

When Seaweed got to school in the morning, he waited by the front door so he could watch as Penny's bus unloaded. When she got off, sucker already in her mouth and pigtails swinging, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She spotted him as he started walking towards her and she waved, quickening her pace with a little skip cut into her step.

"Hi," she said when she reached him, taking his hand in her own and making him smile.

"Hey, baby." She had taken the sucker out of her mouth to say hello, so he assumed that meant he was allowed to kiss her, which he did. Her mouth tasted like cherry, always. He savored the taste of her mouth and feel of her standing next to him, kissing him in front of everyone without a care in the world - like a white girl kissing a black guy was something people saw every day. Tracy may be the one that everyone thought of as brave, but he thought that Penny had just as much courage - and she didn't need any recognition for it, either. He felt her smile into their kiss before she pulled away and replaced her sucker, smirking at him as she pulled him towards the door.

He was dying to know, so after walking in silence for ten or fifteen seconds, he finally bit the bullet.

"So, how'd it go with your mom, then?"

"Euuurg! She's so stupid!" Penny exclaimed in frustration. "I mean, I know she's kind of brainwashed by our church, but it's just so frustrating!" She let out a sigh. "It wasn't as bad as it could have been, I guess. We fought, and she yelled and yelled and me, and told me I was going straight to hell and so were you," she rolled her eyes dramatically, "and that I would be doing nothing but praying and repenting hoping for forgiveness until I'm old and gray. _Then_, I told her... well, I...." Penny paused and turned to look at Seaweed as their walking slowed.

"What, baby?"

"Well." She put the sucker back in her mouth and looked down. Mumbling around the sucker, she continued: "Well, I told her that I was in love with you so there was really nothing for me to repent. And that I was pretty sure that God loved you, too, and that I wasn't going to stop dating you just because she's a racist."

Seaweed's eyes had gotten dramatically larger as Penny's speech continued, but were quickly softened by the curling up of the corners of his mouth. As soon as she finished he tugged her into the doorway nook of one of the science labs, pulling her into him as he leaned against the wall.

"You really told her that?" He asked, slipping his arms around her waist.

Her head came up and she met his eyes, pulling the sucker from her mouth once more. "Yep. I did."

Her big blue eyes were focused and determined, vastly different from the dreamlike quality they usually held, and had to take in a little sharp breath as he realized she was really gonna do this. _They_ were really gonna do this.

"You're just outta sight, baby, you know that? And for the record, Penny, I love you, too," he said before her leaned in and kissed her once more. Her free hand came up to wrap around his neck and pull herself against him. Seaweed moaned into her mouth at the unexpected contact and tightened his arms around her back. Their mouths caressed each other for long minutes, relishing in the joy of shared sentiment and commitment. As Seaweed started to feel the physical repercussions of their little impromptu make-out session, he slowed down and released his grip on Penny. He eventually separated his mouth from hers and pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry your old lady's so hard on you, Pen, but thanks for stickin' up for me. And baby, you just let me know if you need anything from me - you can always come back and stay with us if you need."

Penny pecked him on the lips once more before stepping back and answering. "Thanks, Seaweed." She took his hand and led him back into the hallway. "I actually was wondering if after school you would come with me to meet my Aunt Martha? She's my mom's sister, but they don't talk anymore. Anyway, I was going to ask her if she'd let me stay with her."

He slung his arm around her, giving her a quick hug - happy that she had some family that she could turn to besides her witch of a mother. "Sure thing, baby!" he replied as they reached her locker, where Tracy and Link were waiting for them. The shorter girl bounded over to them, full of concern, and Penny reiterated what she had just told him about her Aunt.

She wanted _him_ with her instead of her best friend, so she could introduce him to her Aunt and be totally up-front about their relationship. She just kept shocking the hell out of him with her boldness. She wanted him, and she did _not_ want to hide it; it was a heady feeling to know the girl he loved was so adamant about him.

Seaweed loitered around the hallway with the three of them until the warning bell rang, kissing Penny quickly and agreeing to meet her at lunch before he hustled to the other end of the school where his locker was. He was less attentive in class than usual, finally having something to distract him. It didn't matter if you didn't have friends in your classes as long as you could sit and daydream about your smokin' hot girlfriend and all the outfits she might make for herself if she didn't have her mother censoring her clothing. He wasn't sure how well she could pull off that innocent look when she looked like a total sex pot, but he liked trying to imagine it.

He liked trying to imagine it so much that he was sure he didn't get any right answers on the two tests he had taken that morning. Seaweed was pretty sure, in fact, that he had written 'Penny' in for a couple of answers. Link had thrown little balls of paper at his head multiple times during their Trig test, trying to get him to actually write instead of stare of into space with a blissful little smile on his face. They left class together, comparing notes on their situations: both were with totally unexpected but totally hip new girlfriends. Link further proved himself to be a pretty cool cracker when he sat with them at lunch, when Seaweed was expecting him to take Tracy and sit with the popular white kids he seemed to rule over.

Seaweed waited for Penny after school by her locker again, snacking on the cookies Tracy had brought them at lunch. He felt a hand slide around his neck as Penny appeared at his side, and she pulled his lips in to me her own, totally unannounced and in the middle of the hallway. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I missed you," she said, opening up her locker and throwing him a smirk over her shoulder. Really, it was wrong that she should have him wrapped around her little finger already, but there was no denying it. Whatever Penny Pingleton wanted, Penny Pingleton would _have_. Lucky for him, what she seemed to want was him - and that was a very, very easy thing for him to give. He walked up to her and snuck a hand around her waist and twirled a pigtail with the other.

"Well, you've got me for the whole rest of the afternoon, Pen." She shut her locker and they headed down the hallway. "So, where's your Aunt live?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Penny sat in class after lunch, wondering if life would be easier if she could buy into all the hooey her mom believed. Her mom had been telling her since she was a little a girl that negroes were godless people, that they weren't even really human in God's eyes. That's what they railed on and on about at church every week, and it didn't matter how many times they yelled it at her, she thought it was the stupidest thing she had ever heard. And Penny knew she wasn't the brightest coin in the bunch, but really. That was just going too far. Still, if she did believe in it then she wouldn't end up being punished _all the time_.

A part of her did love her mom. Prudy was just trying to protect her and keep her safe, in her own twisted way, but she did know that. The bigger part of her, however, was so entirely fed up with the constant punishing and bigotry that she wasn't in the least bit sad about moving out of her mother's house. She only hoped Aunt Martha would agree. She hadn't seen her since she was nine or ten, and her mom had decided that her sister was a godless harlot who shouldn't be trusted around her daughter. But what Penny did remember of Aunt Martha was that she had been fun and uninhibited - everything that her mother wasn't. Her mom had gotten a letter from her a couple of months ago - they still wrote each other, although Prudy refused to see Martha in person - and Penny had snuck a peek at it when she wasn't watching. It had contained pleas for Prudy to see reason and stop letting her church and absent husband dictate her life, as well as news that her son Jim had recently gone off to college and that her husband had gotten a promotion at the chemical plant where he worked. More importantly, though, it had her address on the envelope, and Penny had hastily scratched it down before her mom came back.

Now she fingered the worn piece of paper in her pocket with the address on it, and hoped against hope that Martha would remember her and take her in. Her mom wouldn't be happy about it, but Penny would feel better about staying with family than with Tracy or Seaweed, like it was somehow less of a betrayal. And the idea that maybe Aunt Martha would be supportive of her and Seaweed's relationship was just too enticing to not investigate. She loved Seaweed, without a doubt, and it would kill her if she had to hide him away or pretend they weren't really dating.

The moment Penny first saw him, she knew she had never seen a guy so perfect. Once upon a time she had thought that Link Larkin was the be-all end-all of men, and had shrieked accordingly whenever he came on the TV set, but now - well, Tracy could have him. Penny had seen true beauty, and it was dark as night and as smooth as silk. Gosh, the things he did to her made her weak in the knees just thinking about him. It was a good thing she was sitting down. He had been right that day after detention: the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice - and he was sweet and juicy in more ways than one. The way he moved just made her want to wrap herself around him and feel all of that slinky body as it moved, and when he kissed her, her entire body seemed to light up in sensation.

Penny exhaled quickly in frustration. There were still two more classes in the day before she could see him again. She was quite angry she didn't have any classes with him, but quite pleased that there were only two more days until summer vacation.

She supposed she'd need to find a job this summer, especially if she wasn't living at home. Tracy usually helped out in her dad's joke shop - maybe Mr. Turnblad would let her help out there, too? Or maybe Maybelle would let her work in the record store? Then she could see Seaweed all the time, and they could sneak little kisses on her breaks, and when it was slow, or when there wasn't anyone looking, or - ack! She really needed to stop this. Two hours seemed like forever, but she would endure.

When she finally got out of her last class, where she no longer had Tracy to talk to since her friend got on the show, she was _aching_ to see Seaweed again. So when she found him waiting by her locker, she couldn't resist coming up behind him and pulling him in for a kiss before he could try and be all gentlemanly and proper. He looked at her, at bit stunned, when she let go of those perfectly full lips, and she merely explained that she had missed him. It was the truth - albeit a bit simplified, and she threw a smirk at him over her shoulder thinking about all the things she had thought about in the last two hours of his absence.

They took the city bus to her Aunt's house, which was in a nicer neighborhood than her own or Seaweed's. Most of Baltimore was apartment buildings or townhouses or the like. But this was an actual house, with a little patch of lawn out front and a little blue fence surrounding it. They had walked down a cute little street to get to it, past a line of little houses just like it, with the occasional face peering out a window to look at them go past with suspicion. Now that they were standing at the end of the walk, just outside the fence, Penny got a bad case of nerves. What if she had misinterpreted the letter? What right did she have just showing up, asking for a place to live? She suddenly felt so stupid for just assuming that her Aunt would automatically greet her with open arms, when Penny hadn't made any effort to contact her in years. She felt a hand rubbing her back soothingly and looked to her left where Seaweed was looking at her worriedly.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"Ooooh," she frowned, "I can't believe I came here! Why did I assume I could just ask her to let me live here?" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head, pigtails flailing in dismay. "What if she doesn't want me? What if my mom already called her and told her not to let me stay or something? Why didn't _I_ call her first, instead of just showing up on her doorstep unannounced?!?"

Seaweed's hands were stroking up and down her arms, trying to comfort her. "Hey- hey now," he said, pulling her hands away from her face and holding them between them. "Penny, I'm sure she won't mind seeing her niece. And I'll be the perfect gentleman, just like you said. It'll be just fine, you'll see." He pushed her bangs back behind her ears and look earnestly into her eyes, "Nothin's going keep us apart, and we're all we really need. If your Aunt can't let you stay, then you can always stay with me or with Tracy. Everything's going to work out, I promise."

Penny nodded at him and took his hand in hers with an iron grip. He was right. She was making a big deal out of nothing. Aunt Martha hadn't been in her life in a while, and if she still wasn't after today, it wasn't any great loss.

She pushed open the little gate and hurried down the walkway, holding tightly onto Seaweed's hand. She knocked quickly three times on the door, and was a bit startled when the door opened immediately to reveal a woman she hadn't seen since she was a little.

"For god's sake, Penny, get inside!" the woman said, herding them inside quickly and shutting the door behind them.

Penny looked at her, shocked. "Wha - I mean, uh, hi, Aunt Martha!"

Martha smiled at her and grabbed her into a big hug. She rocked her Penny around for a moment before holding her at arms length to look at her, "Oh Penny, you've gotten so big! But still cute as a button," she said, tweaking Penny's nose and leading her into the living room with an arm around her shoulders. Penny looked behind her to Seaweed nervously. "Come on, young man, and I'll get you kids something to drink," Aunt Martha said without looking back.

Penny and Seaweed settled on a blue couch next to each other and sat in shocked silence for a moment before Martha hurried back into the room with drinks. She was a smallish woman, and a little curvier than her sister, with graying red-brown hair that was pulled back into an untidy twist with little wisps escaping around the edges. She had on bright lipstick and she smiled brightly at them as she brought in two glasses of coke with ice. She stood back from the coffee table and stuck her hands on her hips, looking down at them. "I must have had twelve different neighbors call me in the five minutes you two were standing down at the end of the walk. All calling to inform me that there was a _negro_ boy _canoodling_ with a white girl, and did I _know_ her, and what was she _doing_ with such a boy!" She sighed and smiled with one side of her mouth before raising her eyebrows and inclining her head at Penny. "Next time you bring one of your black friends to visit, Penny, _please, please,_ bring them inside so I don't have to listen to such inane prattle! Okay?"

Penny grinned at her, "No problem, Aunt Martha."

"Good," Martha said, taking a seat across from them. "Now, who is this utterly handsome young man you've brought to meet me?"

* * *

AN: What to do when Penny sings "my blue-eyed soul" but pictures of amanda bynes show she clearly has GREEN eyes? A CONUNDRUM, I tell you. I'm going with the movie line, though, because characters are more important than the actors who play them, yes they are. [and this story is based on the 2007 movie, if you didn't know before. I've never seen the play :( and i'd rather watch the new one over and over and over to get those characters right than the 1989 version, although I like it as well.]

Also, this update was .... kind of late, i know - had some stuff going on this week that meant i didn't have time to write. And i DID technically finish writing it on Sunday, but it took me till 1.30ish to finish editing grammar, etc. and get it all ready to go on . So, it really was on time in a theoretical sense, at least.

Also, that last scene is something that I debated putting in. I didn't actually know my grandmother since she died when I was four - but this is my favorite story about her. She actually said that to my mom when she had been standing outside talking to a black friend of hers in front of their house. Even if i don't know much about her, I figure she had to have been a pretty cool lady just based on that story alone, and she wouldn't mind me sharing it since it puts her in such a positive light and is only meant to honor her memory. :)

Again, thanks to everyone who keeps reading, and special thanks to javasmoker for your review (and don't worry - remember, Link's taking Tracy home with him for the rest of the afternoon.... what ***will they do with all that time?).

I heart people who review even more than I heart people who read (which is really quite a lot). ^__^


	7. Chapter 7

standard disclaimer applies:

'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

[FYI: This chapter probably earns me the T rating. I may move it up to M if it needs it later on, but i'll bracket those sections off so those who don't care to read them can skip around them.]

* * *

**Chapter 7****  
**

Link parked on the street in front of his three-story row house and jumped out to get Tracy's door.

"Wow, Link! This is really nice!" Tracy said, looking up at the white facade with two faux columns on the entryway as Link unlocked the front door.

"Thanks, Trace." He motioned her inside, while contemplating how far he thought it would be appropriate to go with her - _if_ she let him - this afternoon. It was something he had been anticipating since his little conversation with Brad earlier, almost as much as he was anticipating the conversation with Anna the Agent. He wanted to be respectful, but he also really wanted to touch her and feel those soft curves, and he thought she might let him, at least just a bit. Whatever happened, Link was sure it was going to be a good afternoon.

As Link watched Tracy walk down the front foyer, stopping to peer at the photos hung on the wall, he admired the fullness of her chest and hips, greatly appreciating the fact that there weren't miles of crinoline or boning making them appear that way.

"Oh, look at you! You're so adorable!" Tracy said, pointing to a picture of him in the backyard with a garden hose.

"Are you sayin' I'm not adorable now?" he responded, moving behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and look at pictures. It was a little embarrassing to do the little historical walk to the living room, but he figured best to get it out of the way now.

"And _he's_ handsome! Is that your father?"

"Yeah, that was when he was a little younger and they wanted a picture for his law firm's picture board. My mom thought he looked so handsome she apparently insisted he get a copy of it and bring it home so she could frame it." He smiled at the thought of his father awkwardly explaining why they had a glamor shot of him in the entryway when Link had asked about it.

Link pointed to the next photo of a very obviously pregnant woman in a Santa hat smiling at the camera with one hand on her stomach. "That's my mom." He said and smiled at the picture. His dad had wanted to take it down, but Link had fought vehemently against its removal with all the righteous indignation a five year old could muster. "She died just a couple of months later."

Tracy gasped and turned in his arms to look at him. "Oh, Link! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's okay, babe," he turned her back around in his arms and and pointed at the picture again. "That's the way I remember her, though. I was only four when she died, so I just remember her being really great. She made cookies a lot, and used to sing me to sleep, and let me feel the baby when it kicked. She was teaching me to waltz like Fred Astaire in the living room before she got too pregnant to move that much. It was a long time ago though, and she's just those couple of memories to me now, so I don't really miss her much anymore."

Tracy had covered his arms with her own and was craning her head to look up at him.

"How did she die?" she asked, a little hesitantly.

"In childbirth," Link said, smiling a little at Tracy to let her know it was okay to ask. "It was pretty hard on my dad because he lost her and the baby." His smile dropped a bit. "It would have been nice to have a brother or sister, but I think it would have been really hard for the two of us and a baby without her," he finished, looking back at the photo. "We had a full-time housekeeper and nanny for a while after she died, because my dad didn't really know what to do with me while he was at work, but now Mrs. Cranston only cleans once a week, although she still seems like part of the family."

"Wow," Tracy said after a pause, still processing all the intimate information Link had just shared with her. "Thanks for telling me all that." Link shuffled her down the hallway, though she paused to look at the last photo of all three of them for a moment. "Does everyone at school know?" she asked as she stepped away from him to take her bag off her shoulder and set it down by the couch in the living room. The lights were still off, and the room was only illuminated by the light filtering through the closed curtains and the spillover from the hallway.

"A couple of people do. I don't really hide it, but it just doesn't come up much. The rest of the council kids usually aren't gossiping about parents too much, unless its how to avoid them or trick them into thinking we really _are_ the nicest kids in town," he said with a wink, closing in on Tracy who was now leaning against the armrest of the couch.

Tracy brought a hand up to twirl a piece of hair around her fingers and look up at him through her lashes. "Oh? So _that's_ what the nicest kids in town are all about? What exactly are you doing that you need to avoid your parents so much?" She asked, knowingly. It was nice that she was just playing right into it, and he didn't have to feel like he was taking advantage or pushing her.

"Oh, you know, things like this," he whispered as he pushed her hair behind her shoulder and pressed a kiss to the skin just below her ear, smiling in triumph as she sucked in a soft gasp of air. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of her skin and her hair as he simply nuzzled her neck for a couple of seconds, before kissing up her jaw and reaching her lips. They kissed for a few moments, just beginning to taste each others mouths, before Link realized how uncomfortable this position was, bent over as he was. He was bracing himself on the couch on either side of Tracy's hips to help support his weight. Link would much prefer to have his hands free to be able to touch her, he decided. He pulled away and she looked at him questioningly with big brown eyes and a slightly mussed mouth.

"You're quite short, you know that?"

Her eyebrows raised in shock, "Oh! I- I'm sorry! I suppose I really am, aren't I?" she said as Link stood up straight and looked down at her, the difference in height seeming more pronounced when they were this close to each other.

"Oh, no worries, darlin'," he said, taking her hand, "I quite like how tiny you are." He pulled her around to the front corner of the couch. "Makes me feel all tall and manly," he said with a smirk and a wink as he sat down and pulled her down next to him. "Now, where were we?" He asked, smiling again sincerely. "Oh, I remember," Link said, sliding his hand up the side of her neck over the smooth skin and into her hair, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered closed before he leaned in to kiss her neck again, mimicking his actions from before. When his mouth reached hers again, her right hand came up to slide around his neck and pull herself closer to him. The action pressed her chest firmly against his and he practically moaned into her mouth. No, those were _definitely_ not created by boning and creative engineering.

He moved his right hand from where it was tangled in her hair to around her back, supporting her as he slowly pushed her back into the corner of the couch so that she was leaning back slightly. Kissing Tracy was a wonderful experience, as their mouths seem to know just how to move together to send little tingles down his spine, and she was so wonderfully willing and excited to mimic everything he showed her. Every time she pushed her sweet tongue into his mouth he got so turned on he was almost distracted from his goal, but eventually tore his mouth away from hers to kiss back down her neck as her head fell back and her breathing got heavier. Link looked down for a moment to watch her chest lift up and down with her breathing before focusing again on sucking lightly on the juncture of her neck and shoulder eliciting a quiet moan from Tracy.

He knew he shouldn't be thinking about it, since they had _just_ started dating, but he literally could not help from picturing a moment in time when Tracy would let herself be his and all that soft skin and those deliciously soft curves would be uncovered and open and just as excited and wanting and _wanton_ as she was now - where she was still letting out little soft whimpers and moans above him whenever he found another sensitive spot. He let out a little closed-mouth moan and clutched her tighter to him, his left hand sliding up her side towards her chest as his mouth explored more of the baby-soft skin her blouse had left open to his perusal.

His hand was just about to graze the side of her breast when he heard a nervous little "Link?" come from up above his head. He suddenly realized she had gone stiff in his hands and he pulled back as far as he could with his right hand still trapped between Tracy and the couch.

"Oh, Trace," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll slow down."

She still looked a little shell shocked. "I just - I mean, that was _really _nice, Link," she said, still catching her breath and looking a little ashamed, "but... don't you need to call your agent?"

Link's mouth dropped open, unbelieving that he had managed to completely forget about the phone call he was supposed to be making. 'Well,' he thought, taking in the sight of Tracy's still flushed skin and rumpled shirt, 'not _that_ unbelievable.'

"I can't believe I forgot!" He smiled at her, "You just have that effect on me, I guess, darlin'." He got more serious for a moment, reaching up to run a thumb over her lower lip. "You've gotta let me know if I'm going too far, because I apparently am havin' a hard time controlling myself, here, Trace. Although I'll try harder to go slower next time."

Tracy smiled at him. "Okay." She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks, Link," she said before standing up and running her hands down her front to smooth out her clothes, an action that didn't really help Link want to get up off the couch.

He sighed and stood up. "I suppose we could turn on some lights in here, huh?" He moved to the bank of light switches and flipped them all up, illuminating a large living room with two couches and a couple of high-backed chairs facing each other, and a largish television set. There was a dining table at the end of the room, and you could just see the entrance to the kitchen from here. Everything was spotless, as Mrs. Cranston had been here yesterday, and it looked very formal and clean. His father sometimes had work friends over for dinner parties, so it was a good space for that, but he did sometimes miss the fuzzy memory he had of this house being a little warmer and messier, when his mom was still around.

"Do you want somethin' to drink, darlin?" he called as he walked towards the kitchen, remembering his manners.

Tracy followed him a second later. "Whatever you're having is fine by me," she responded, admiring the view of the well-manicured backyard from the dining room window.

Link walked back over to her, handing her a coke with a straw in it and taking her free hand. "Let's go upstairs - I've got a phone in my room, and there's somethin' else I want to show you up there." He grabbed her book bag on their way up to his room, and ducked quickly into his room to set her bag next to his desk. Then he took her hand again and led her into the room just across the hall.

He was quite proud of this room. A couple of years ago, long after Mrs. Cranston had moved out, Link had asked if he could use the spare bedroom to practice his dance moves in. He had just made it on the Corny Collins Show, and his dad was proud of him - although not exactly 'understanding' - so he had allowed it. Link had used some of his savings to purchase a couple of large wall mirrors and a set of wall shelves that could hold the radio and phonograph so that they wouldn't skip when he jumped around. On the walls without shelves or mirrors, he had hung pictures of his idols: lots of Elvis, but also Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Del Shannon, Frank Sinatra, Dion, Cary Grant, and more, along with a big poster from West Side Story, which had come out the year before. There was a big window on one wall, with a fan next to it, as it tended to get really hot in the summer.

"This is totally outta sight, Link!" Tracy exclaimed, examining the posters and setting down her coke before quickly trying out a couple of steps on the hardwood floor. "No wonder you're such a good dancer! I'd be in here all the time, this place is great!"

"Thanks, doll, I'm glad you like it," he said as he spun her around to the non-existent beat. He really was glad she appreciated his little dancing sanctuary the way he had hoped she would, for multiple reasons. Amber had thought this room was silly, citing the fact that they already danced for hours on the show every day - why on earth would he want to come home and dance for fun? Also, he couldn't think of much he'd rather do than dance with Tracy - it was almost good as kissing Tracy, but this would probably get him in less trouble. "Anyway," he started again, stopping her dancing momentarily, "you can stay in here and dance if you want, while I call the agency."

"Ohhh, no! I want to be right there beside you!" Tracy exclaimed excitedly, before realizing she had practically shouted in his face, "I mean, if you don't mind. It'll be so hard for me to just sit over here and not know what you're saying to them!" She stepped closer and cautiously put her hands on his sides then looked up with pleading eyes, "You did say you wanted me here for moral support, right?"

He grinned inwardly at her enthusiasm, as well as the fact that she had moved to touch him first. "I did ask that, didn't I?" She nodded vigorously. "Alright then, let's go." He grabbed their cokes again and led her back into his bedroom, fishing the business card out of his pocket as she took a seat at his desk.

"Alright," he said more to himself than to Tracy, picking up the phone from his bedside table and putting it in his lap. "Here goes!" He dialed the number quickly and looked at Tracy as it rang, her face a shining beacon of hope and promise, and her smile conveying all the confidence she had in him. Link was glad once again that it was Tracy he had here with him instead of Amber, who would be trying to worm her way onto the phone to promote herself.

Just then a voice answered the ringing, "WDC Talent Agency, Anna Harrison's office, how may I help you?" spoke a woman's voice in a very neutral tone.

"Hi, this is Link Larkin," he said, trying to speak with assurity, "Ms. Harrison asked me to call her?"

There was a quick pause before the secretary responded again. "Ah, Mr. Larkin, yes. Mrs. Harrison is in a quick meeting at the moment, but should be done soon. Can I get your phone number so she can call you back as soon as she's finished?"

"Oh. Yes, of course. That would be fine," he responded somewhat disappointedly before he gave the secretary his number and hung up the phone.

Tracy spoke up, looking at him with questioning eyebrows. "What did they say?"

He put on a smile to mask his disappointment. She would call back, there was really nothing to be disappointed about. "Nothing. She was in a meeting, but she'll call back soon."

"Oh." Tracy stood up and started wandering his room, inspecting his posters and decor. There were more posters of Elvis and Gene Kelly, but there was also a little section of modest girly pictures that Tracy raised her eyebrows at before twirling back around to face him, a little embarrased. "So, what are you going to say to her when she calls back?"

"I dunno, Trace. It all depends on what she asks me, I guess."

"But, what do _you_ want to do? Do you want to be in movies? Or would you rather be a singer? Or something else?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck, contemplating. He'd really like to do all those things, but if he could do anything he wanted... "I guess if I could do absolutely anything, I'd want to be like Elvis. I know it's cliche, but he sings and dances, and he gets to be in movies, too." He laughed at himself a bit, "That's not too much to ask, right?"

Tracy came and sat next to him. "No, I don't think so. I can see you doing all those things. I think you'd be great in the movies," she said, looking up into his face with complete adoration. It was impossible to remain bummed out when that adorable face was grinning up at you with such sincerity.

"Thanks, Trace." He snuck an arm around her. "Would you buy my record if I made a record?"

"Of course! I'd get the very first copy, are you kidding?"

"Well, that's good," he said, squeezing her into his side. "I think that's what I'd like best. I love dancing more than anything, but I'm not sure what all I can do with that. But if they thought I was good enough, it would be really far out to actually make a record."

"It would be, you're right. Or, you could be on American Bandstand, or Broadway! Or another dance show - maybe you could take over for Corny one day, then you could dance! I think you should at least try to do what you want the most, not just settle for what you think you can do. If I had settled for what my Ma wanted, I never would have tried out for the Corny Collins show, and then where would we be?" She paused, turning to look at him. "You can at least ask the agent about it. I bet she knows all kinds of things that you can do!"

Link kissed her forehead. "And you think you're not a smartypants, eh? Sometimes I think you're the smartest girl I know, Tracy Turnblad."

Tracy sighed and pouted. "Ohhhhh don't remind me!" She covered her face with her hands and breathed out heavily. "I still have two more finals tomorrow, and I'm not any better prepared for them than I was for the ones today. I'm going to end up spending all of my summer in school, I just know it!"

"Hey now, darlin' - don't stress! It'll all turn out copasetic, I promise. Look, what tests do you have tomorrow?" He asked, grabbing her bag quickly before returning to his spot on the edge of the bed. "I'll help you study," he said, pulling the textbooks out of the main pocket.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" she asked incredulously.

"Sure, Trace! I don't have a problem bein' a little on the pointdexter side if its gonna ensure my favorite gal can spend the summer with me instead of inside a stuffy classroom!" He failed to mention that he was planning on studying on his own after she left anyway, his tests today hadn't gone exactly stellar, either.

Tracy laughed. "Thanks, Link. I need all the help I can get." She took the books from him and moved to sit on the floor where she could spread her papers around her. She unknowingly flashed a tiny peek of cleavage at him as she looked up at him to say, "I still have tests in chemistry and geography tomorrow, and I need to finish my paper for English."

"Hey, me too!" Link said, dropping down to the floor beside her, silently agreeing with her location - he would have had an impossible time actually studying if they were to stay on the bed. "Who are your teachers?"

They sat and studied for the next fifteen minutes, quizzing each other on equations and maps, both enjoying the activity more because they were together, when the phone rang loudly. Link jumped up, knocking a couple of her books off of his lap as he grabbed for the phone.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Mr. Larkin? This is Anna Harrison. I'm sorry I couldn't take your call earlier."

"Oh, it's no problem, I was just studying with my girlfriend."

"Well, I'm glad you called. Like I said, I was very impressed with your dancing and stage presence last Saturday, and would like to work up a contract with you if that's to your liking?"

"Most definitely!" He said, then tried to tell himself to calm down, "I mean, that would be something I'm very interested in, thank you."

"Great, Link - may I call you Link?" She continued without waiting for a response, "I am curious, however, about what exactly _you_ are interested in. Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Link shot a grin at Tracy, who was watching him pace from her spot on the floor, happy that she had asked that question not half an hour ago. "Well, I'm really interested in everything. I enjoy dancing the most, but I would love to make a record, or be in movies or on television shows, too."

"A triple threat, then?" Anna replied with a smile in her voice. "I'll see what I can do." She paused, and Link heard some papers shuffling over the phone. "Are you willing to do commercials and print ads, what about stage productions? There are a lot of avenues to get your face out there, Link."

"Oh, sure - those sound great, too! Whatever you think is best, Ms. Harrison!"

"Its great that you're so enthusiastic, Link. Is there anything you'd rather not do?"

"Uhm.... not that I can think of. Nothing too embarrassing, I guess?" He replied, now wracking his brain for things that he wouldn't do.

"Alright, I'll try to keep the embarrassment factor to a minimum," Anna responded light-heartedly. "So, when would you be available to come sign some paperwork and discuss what options I can come up with for you?"

"Well, the show doesn't start up for another two weeks, so after school ends on Wednesday, I'm completely free till the middle of the month." Tracy was watching him now with clasped hands and an excited smile on her face.

"That's great, Link. I'll transfer you back to my secretary and she'll set up an appointment for you early next week. How does that sound?"

"Perfect, Ms. Harrison. Thank you so much!"

"Thank you, Link, and I'll see you next week." There was a click on the line and then the voice of her secretary came on after a few moments of silence.

"Mr. Larkin? How does next Tuesday at two o'clock sound?"

"Next Tuesday at two works great for me."

"Do you have our address here in Washington?"

"I think so, its 47 N. Randolph Way, right? That's what I have here on Ms. Harrison's card." He said after a moment, snatching the card off of his nightstand to read the address back to her.

"Exactly. We'll see you next Tuesday, Mr. Larkin. Have a nice day!"

"Thank-you! Goodbye!" Link finished and hung up the phone. Then he felt a grin creep over his face as he turned back to Tracy. He had an agent. He was going to have a signed contract, and a career singing and dancing and acting. It felt amazing to know that it was all really happening, and he couldn't wait to tell his dad 'I told you so' when he got home later. But right now, with all this energy and happiness bubbling up inside of him, he just really wanted to dance.

He reached out for Tracy's with one hand, which she immediately took, and pulled her across the hall where he pulled out his favorite Elvis record.

"It sounded like it went well?" Tracy asked as he put the record on and adjusted the needle.

"I think so. I'm totally jazzed - Ms. Harrison seems totally hip and nice. I'm going to Washington next Tuesday to sign the papers with her and she'll tell me more about what I can do." As he finished, the first song on the album, "Make Me Know It," started, and he turned the volume up. "So, lil' darlin', you gonna join me for a celebratory dance?"

He really didn't need to ask, because as soon as the song had started, Tracy's hips had started moving in time to the beat. They both started dancing happily and singing along with the lyrics, acting out the lines when appropriate in a playful manner, sharing quick kisses and swinging their hips suggestively. He loved that he had found someone else to dance with him, just for the fun of it. It was how he had always expressed himself and released any emotions that were building up, and it was totally bitchin' to finally have someone to share that with. They continued dancing, building up a little sweat as it was quite warm that day and Link hadn't remembered to turn the fan on yet.

The next song on the album was "Fever," and Tracy fell right into the suggestiveness of the song as it started, coming closer to Link and letting him wrap his arms around her. They swayed and moved as one, and Tracy swung out to stalk around him on the chorus, giving him the sexiest look he'd ever seen. He was quickly learning that whatever the song, that attitude was _exactly_ what Tracy was going to give him, and he'd picked a doozy when he chose this record. Her hips and shoulders rolled continuously, leaving his eyes in a quandry as to where to look. She solved that problem by locking eyes with him, singing sofly with the lyrics and making his whole body heat up instantly.

Link quickly removed his sweater and flung it to the side, leaving him in only the close-fitting white t-shirt that had been under it. He closed his eyes and felt the rhythm in his hips, determined to match Tracy's intensity, before slowly advancing on her and pulling her close as he reached her. She raised her arms to the music and he ran his hands up her sides all the way to her fingers, drinking in the sight of her tilting her head back with eyes closed, moving in perfect synchronization to his movements. His hands slowly brought her arms down as his right leg slid between hers to bring them even closer, and they continued to dance suggestively, practically molded together until the song ended, finishing with Link supporting her back and dipping her around backwards, bringing her back up to meet his mouth in an entirely too hot kiss for so early in the afternoon.

Tracy's hands dug into his back where they had been gripping him for balance as they kissed, and Link dug a hand into the hair at the base of her neck once more, guiding her head commandingly in their kiss, her sexiness and confidence making him feel the need to be equally forceful as their lips locked together and their tongues teased each other with a ferocity he had never, ever experienced before in a kiss. 'Holy hell,' he thought, as he felt his nether regions stiffining in response to the kiss and slowly pulled away before he could frighten Tracy, 'this girl is going to be the death of me.'

* * *

A/N: I didn't update "on time," and i'm sorry. But in my defense, i didn't actually give an update deadline last week, as i knew things might be weird because of halloween festivities.

I _do_ think that teenagers have raging hormones, no matter the decade, and that its kind of silly to assume that Link is some perfect gentleman when his reputation would presuppose he's been pretty popular with the ladies. He loves Tracy, but that doesn't mean those hormones aren't still on the rampage, and I think he probably does think Tracy's going to be a bit easy, though he probably wouldn't admit it out loud. Anyway, I hope the physical stuff didn't feel too weird.

I'm not a huge fan of songs in fics, so I didn't include the lyrics of the songs they were listening to, trusting that all you smart smart readers can find them (and the songs themselves) on the interwebs if you want them. Although, you really should go listen to Elvis' version of Fever if you've never heard it, because it is absolutely amazing and one of the hottest things i've ever heard.

Next Promised Update: Sunday, 8 November 2009. [doesn't give me much time, but i'll try my hardest!]

As always, thanks thanks thanks for reading, and PLEASE review! I love getting reviews (who doesn't) and am kind of sad at the small fraction of people who are reading who actually say anything. I am ALWAYS open to constructive criticism!

^__^


	8. Chapter 8

standard disclaimer applies:

'ts not mine, i'm not making any profit.

[again, definitely earning the T rating here...]

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Tracy was moderately intimidated by Link's house, although she tried not to show it. He obviously didn't care that her family had less money than his, but it still made her a little self conscious.

However, despite its grand entrance way, the entry hall was littered with family photos, just like hers was. There were older pictures of what were most likely Link's grand parents and great grandparents, all of whom were quite lovely - apparently the Larkins had a long history of producing completely gorgeous offspring. The first picture of a child was of Link, whom she immediately recognized, even without the signature curl. He was in swimming trunks, holding a flowing garden hose in one hand and grinning at the camera with an almost predatory gleam in his young eyes, assuring that whoever had taken this photo had shortly after been soaked through. "Look at you!" she said, turning back to look at Link, "You're so adorable!" She pointed at the photo and smiled as he quipped back at her a completely ludicrous question - of course he was still adorable now!

Tracy smiled blissfully as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Whenever he stepped close, she could smell his cologne and hairspray, and something that was just him. They briefly discussed the photo of his father, and Tracy took the opportunity to trace up and down his arm where his sweater was pushed up with her fingertips, admiring his perfect skin and the fact that she was allowed to touch it. She looked up again when he pointed to a picture of his mother, then gasped in shock as he revealed that she had died shortly after the picture was taken.

How could she not have known that he didn't have a mother? How horrible! He quickly calmed her fears and explained about his mother, who had died when he was still very young, but Tracy was still caught up in the implications of what it meant that Link had grown up without a mother. Her Ma was a huge part of her life, and she just didn't know what she'd do without her - she guessed it might be different for boys, but still! Link continued on, oblivious to her pity, and she smiled at the fact that at least he had good memories of her mother.

He went on to tell her about how he had grown up with a housekeeper and just his Father, and Tracy was once again surprised at how she could not have known this about him. 'He must not tell many people,' she thought, and expressed her gratitude out loud that he had chosen her to share that part of himself with, as well as her incredulity that no one else seemed to know.

They quickly moved into the living room, transitioning quickly out of their discussion of Link's family, as both seemed to realize that they were all alone in a house without anyone to interrupt them. She leaned back against the couch in his darkened living room, and Link slowly advanced upon her, making her heart speed up in anticipation. Tracy would be lying if she said she hadn't been anticipating this moment all day - well, for the last three years, really - and it was here now and she knew she would have a hard time controlling herself. He was utterly perfect, and for the time being, he was all hers.

_Link Larkin _slowly brushed her hair behind her shoulder and bent in to kiss her neck, and Tracy just barely managed to hold in a shudder. She couldn't possibly keep her mouth closed to that insistent tongue when it reached her mouth, _finally_, nor did she really try. She was just starting to lose herself in the kiss when Link pulled away suddenly and stood up over her, making her wonder if she had done something wrong - maybe he thought she was easy and cheap for letting him just kiss her without putting up a fight?

"You're quite short, you know that?" He asked, looking down at her, and Tracy was startled into an amused response.

"I suppose I really am, aren't I?" she asked, realizing just how much she was craning her neck to look into his eyes - it wasn't as noticeable that she was constantly looking _up_ at people when they were standing a couple of feet away. Link just smiled at her and pulled her around to the front corner of the couch, telling her he liked that she was so short. When she thought about it, she realized that Link wasn't really very tall, either - he just seemed that way to her.

But when they sat down, they were much more evenly matched in height. Link repeated his earlier actions, starting by moving her hair and kissing her neck, the sensations they caused not dampened in the slightest by their repetition. When he finally reached her mouth once more, she was sure she was going to go crazy. Tracy had never been kissed before Link finally took notice of her, and she couldn't get enough of it. She had had no idea there were so many nerves in her mouth that could tingle and warm with just a simple brush of his tongue. His lips were soft, and she explored them with her own, occasionally growing bold enough to push her own tongue into his mouth, tasting the mint and warmth of his mouth and sighing inwardly at the intimacy of it.

Tracy reached a hand up to caress the short hairs at the base of his neck, using it as an excuse to pull herself closer to him. He was warm and hard against her, and the feeling of another body touching hers was exciting and intoxicating. Link's hand moved from where it was tangled in her hair to her lower back, supporting her as he pushed her back slightly into the arm of the couch. She practically moaned into his mouth - if she had thought that getting to press up against him was a thrill, it was nothing compared to the sensation of his weight actually pressing into her with some force. It made her feel wanted and sexy and completely on fire, and she kissed him with renewed vigor, mimicking the actions of his tongue blow for blow.

Something in the back of Tracy's head was telling her to slow down, that too much sensation was making her stupid with emotion, but she couldn't give it any attention - not when Link suddenly left her lips bereft only to press them once again against her neck, working their way down towards her chest. She knew she was breathing hard, but she couldn't contain herself. Her chest felt tight, and every place that Link touched her felt as if it were on fire and she suddenly wanted him to touch every part of her - as if that would satisfy whatever this burning monster of her hormones craved. That thought, combined with the maddeningly sensitive sensation of Link's lips and tongue exploring further south on her chest - practically reaching the collar of her blouse, seemed to finally heed the warning voice screaming in her head.

Tracy failed to calm her breathing or quell her responses to Link's touches, but inside her brain her thoughts were rushing, afraid of her own impassioned response to so little stimuli, and of what Link might do if she didn't stop him - of what _she _might do if she didn't stop him. His hand was slowly creeping up her side, and suddenly all she could hear were Amber's words from this afternoon, warning her that Link was only with her because he thought she would be easy, and that as soon as he got what he wanted he would toss her aside for someone else better suited to his looks and popularity.

As much as she wanted ignore Amber's words, she couldn't help but think they might be the truth, and that this moment was only proof of that. The socially conscious part of her rational wanted to sass Link, 'who did he think he was, trying for second on what was only their second date? what kind of a girl did he think she was, anyway?' The insecure part of her that usually was hidden was further questioning if he really thought so little of her that he didn't care about her feelings or lack of experience. All she managed to actually get out, however, was a shamefully quiet squeak of, "Link?"

To her relief and disappointment, Link did still for a moment, before throwing himself backward.

"Oh, Trace," he sighed, a look of remorse plain on his face, "I'm sorry. I'll slow down."

Well, that was good, she guessed. She was still breathing deeply and tingling all over - it had felt good, just _too_ good really. "I just-," she started... Tracy didn't think she could really voice all her thoughts on the subject, but she did know that it was partially her fault that she hadn't stopped him sooner and so felt bad about him taking all the guilt. "I mean, that was _really _nice, but," she hoped that would mollify him to some extent, and searched for a way out of the awkward situation they had found themselves in, "don't you need to call your agent?"

His eyes locked with hers, surprise evident in their blue depths; apparently he had forgotten all about it. A smug little voice inside was crowing that he had gotten so caught up in kissing _her_ that he had completely spaced on something so important, while simultaneously working to convince her that maybe he was just as affected by their necking as she was, and _that_ was why he had gone so far - not out of disrespect.

Link confirmed as much in words, though Tracy was more trusting of what she could read in his eyes and expressions that what came out of his mouth - the boy could have a way with words, she knew, and he'd had a lot of practice perfecting his smooth talking.

"You've gotta let me know if I'm going too far," he said, though, looking sincerely into her eyes, and she did believe him now, "because I apparently am havin' a hard time controlling myself here, Trace. Although I'll try harder to go a bit slower." She smiled at his concern, happy he was being so considerate and hoping it was indicative of deeper feelings he might have for her. And that bashfully adorable look on his face was certainly working to re-endear him to her quickly.

"Okay," she replied, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips to show she wasn't mad or upset. "Thanks, Link."

They collected their things, got some cokes from Link's immaculately clean kitchen, and headed upstairs. Before he called his agent, though, he introduced her to another of his secrets. Link Larkin had a private dance studio on the second floor of his house. Tracy was beyond jealous - it was bright and clean, with big mirrors on the walls and a radio and phonograph.

"This is totally outta sight, Link!" She exclaimed, quickly setting down her coke to try out some moves on the clean floor, watching her reflection. "No wonder you're such a good dancer! I'd be in here all the time," she said honestly - she'd give anything for a room like this where her Ma couldn't constantly tell her to turn the music down or stop upsetting piles of laundry, "this place is great!"

Link joined her, spinning her around a couple of times. "Thanks, doll," he said, "I'm glad you like it." He stopped dancing and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Anyway, you can stay in here and dance if you want, while I call the agency."

"Ohhhh, no!" Tracy protested out loud, then realized that might have been rude. It was _his_ agent, after all - he hadn't had to invite her along at all. "I mean, if you don't mind," she added, "it'll be so hard for me to just sit over here and not know what you're saying to them." Then she remembered what his excuse for 'kidnapping' her from school had been and stepped closer, cautiously putting her hands on her sides and giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. "You did say you wanted me here for moral support, right?"

He acquiesed to her demands and led her back across the hallway to his room, dialing the number as she cautiously examined his room. It was painted a pale blue, practically white, and was mostly neat, except for a mess of 78s and papers littering his desk. His bed was much larger than hers with a navy and green quilt on the top, and there was a large closet that she was sure held his carefully constructed wardrobe of sweaters, jackets, and impeccably tailored pants.

"Alright," Link said from across the room. "Here goes!" He dialed the number and held the receiver to his ear. Link's face reflected a determined calm, but the bouncing of his leg bespoke of the nerves he was trying to contain. Tracy wanted to tell him he didn't need to worry, she knew that the agent wouldn't have given him her card if she didn't want to sign him. In the way that Tracy's world had been opened to a world of diversity and fame since her induction into the council, she knew that Link's world was about to explode in a similar way.

"Hi, this is Link Larkin. Ms. Harrison asked me to call her?"

He paused, and Tracy tried to project all the confidence she had in him through her eyes as he looked at her nervously.

"Oh. Yes, of course. That would be fine. My number is 301-210-7784. Goodbye."

That can't have been it! "What did they say?" Tracy asked, disheartened by the way Link's face had dropped a moment ago. But a smile slid quickly over his features once more and he looked at her, setting the phone down.

"Nothing. She was in a meeting, but she'll call back soon."

"Oh."

Tracy got up from where she had been sitting at his desk to further inspect his room, not quite knowing what to say. He had posters of his favorite stars plastered to his wall, just like she did - although his weren't of all of her, which was the opposite case in her room and which he had _seen_, but she pushed that embarrassment aside once more. There was a little collection of actresses and singers next to his bed, and though none of them were nude or even really scantilly clad, she felt a bit odd looking at it and turned back around, determined to cover her unwarranted invasion of his privacy with conversation.

"So, what are you going to say to her when she calls back?" she finally asked. Link's lack of a concrete response puzzled her. She was sure he would have thought all of this through, would have known exactly what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go with his career - although she certainly didn't, so it might have been unrealistic to expect him to know. She tried to assure him that he could do anything he wanted, and that he should go after what he loved the most. Tracy was a firm believer in following your dreams, and she had great personal evidence to back her up.

When Link made a little jibe about her being so smart about all the following-your-dreams stuff, she was rudely reminded of just how horrible the beginning of her day had gone, and how much work she had to do to ensure that tomorrow wasn't equally bad. Summer school was a distinct possibility at this point, and probably a certainty if she was more realistic about it. A part of her hoped her teachers would be impressed with her popularity or new-found fame and would let her slide, but she knew she really couldn't count on that. Luckily, Link offered to help her study, and they spent the next 15 minutes quizzing each other on subjects for upcoming finals. Tracy got the impression that Link was actually quite smart, as he seemed to know everything she asked him, and had all the explanations for things she didn't know without looking them up. She felt a mild exasperation towards him - occasionally it didn't seem fair that some people were good at absolutely everything, and beautiful to boot.

At that moment, the phone rang loudly and Link jumped up so quickly that her books were sent flying and he practically tripped over his own feet trying to turn around to pick up the phone. Tracy snickered silently at his excitement, and decided she liked him best when he wasn't being so perfect. Not only did it make her more comfortable around him, she liked that he felt comfortable enough around her to drop his guard a bit.

"Oh, it's no problem," Link said into the receiver, both hands holding tightly onto it as if Ms. Anna Harrison might slip away if he didn't keep a tight enough grip on the phone, "I was just studying with my girlfriend."

Tracy sucked in a little breath. _Girlfriend._ They'd been on one? two? dates, and already Link Larkin thought of her as his _girlfriend_. She knew for a fact that Link hadn't officially gone steady with Amber until they'd been dating for a month, as he'd still been dating Shelly occasionally during that time. Once he _had_ made it official, he never strayed from Amber until Tracy had come along. 'Choke on that, Amber,' she thought smugly, and let the idea of Link's fast commitment to her flush a wave of confidence over the doubts that the blonde had put into her head earlier that day.

_Tracy had really wished that Link didn't have to sit so far away. They'd had assigned seats since the beginning of the semester though, and there was no way to get him any closer to her, so she'd just have to be contented watching him grin at her from his seat. His eyes in that moment got big, and she turned in her seat to see a perfectly coiffed and primped Amber strolling into the room. Her smile was sickly sweet, and Tracy steeled herself for whatever the blonde had decided to throw at her._

_And sure enough, instead of walking past her, Amber stopped at her desk, and bent down slightly to lock eyes with her. Her smile never dropped, but she spit acid all the same._

_"Tracy, you skaggy, man-stealing whore. You really think Link likes you for you? He's seen you shaking that decidedly huge rear-end of yours and he's decided you're gonna be a fast game." She paused and fluttered her lashes at Tracy. "Don't come crying to me when he drops you as soon as he gets what he wants. Especially since as soon as he sees you with your rags off, I'm sure he'll only be able to stomach the experience once." Then Amber straightened and continued to her desk, greeting Paulie and Becky as though nothing had happened._

_Tracy blinked hard a couple of times. It was nothing less than she had expected, but Amber's words had scraped against some of the doubts she didn't let herself voice, and now she was the teensiest bit worried that Amber's words were so awful because they were true. F__or the rest of the period, she couldn't bring herself to look back at Link, afraid that she would see him canoodling with Amber once more - the possibility that the last couple of days were all a figment of her imagination seemed strong, and she didn't really come back to herself until the bell rang and suddenly Link was beside her, his hand warm in hers, blue eyes trained on her face, assuring her that anything Amber said was a lie._

Link's eyes captured hers once more as he smiled and sat on the edge of the bed_._ "Well, I'm really interested in everything. I enjoy dancing the most," he said to the voice on the phone while winking at her, "but I would love to make a record, or be in movies or on television shows, too."

His knee was bouncing up and down, but there was a smile on his face, and his eyes look wider than normal - 'kind of like a kid at the zoo,' Tracy thought, 'completely amazed at everything going on.'

Personally, Tracy had always thought that Link was the best dancer on the show because you could just tell when you watched him how much he loved dancing. He would still get caught up in the popularity contests and gossip scandals that surrounded the council, but whereas most of the other council members seemed to be on the show primarily to raise their social standing, with Link it had always seemed like a happy coincidence. He had a sincerity that a lot of the other kids didn't have. He was there to dance and perform, and if along the way it made him a star, then he was quite happy with the outcome. At least, that's how Tracy had always thought of him, knowing it was perhaps naive and idealistic. Getting to know him better, however, was proving that she was pretty darn good at reading people's personalities over a 18" television screen.

"Well, the show doesn't start up for another two weeks..." Link was saying, and Tracy realized he was probably scheduling a meeting with Ms. Harrison in person. He scrambled around the bedside table, searching for the business card and then reading an address off of it.

"Thank-you! Goodbye!" he finished, hanging up the phone and turning to Tracy with a grin which she knew she was mirroring. Before she could even get out a word of congratulations, he had pulled her up off the floor and across the hallway to his dance room.

As he was putting on a record, Tracy finally asked a question she already knew the answer to, "It sounded like it went well, then?"

"I think so," Link said, glancing at her and smiling, "I'm totally jazzed - Ms. Harrison seems totally hip and nice. I'm going to Washington next Tuesday to sign the papers with her and she'll tell me more about what I can do."

Tracy was completely unsurprised when Elvis' "Make Me Know It" came on, and immediately started shaking her hips - this had been one of her favorite records last year, and she knew every word of it. Link swung her around and they began to dance in earnest, singing the words to each other. Even if all they had in common was music and dancing, Tracy knew that would be enough - Link was the only other person besides herself and her mother who absolutely _had_ to dance when they got happy and excited.

When the song finished and "Fever" came on, Tracy slowed down her movements - happy to have a chance to catch her breath - and started swaying her hips in time to the slower, sultry beat. She closed her eyes, letting herself become immersed in the song and slowly opened them to find Link staring at her with an expression she could only describe as "hungry". 'Interesting,' she thought, wondering how far she could go with this. She started singing softly with the music, and her movements became empowered by the music as she stalked around him, pretending she was some sexy actress in the movies singing the song just to him. Link quickly threw off the blue sweater he had on, leaving him in just a tightly clinging white t-shirt, and suddenly Tracy wasn't pretending anymore.

If anyone could be described as giving Tracy Turnblad _fever_ it was most certainly Link Larkin. He had his eyes closed and was swaying to the music, totally engrossed in the song and emotion behind Elvis' smooth vocals. Tracy had only seen his upper arms once or twice, as he usually was wearing sweaters or jackets - but now they were exposed to her hungry eyes, as were the faint outlines of his toned torso. Then his eyes snapped open to lock with hers, and she swore the temperature in the room went up twenty degrees. Link advanced on her, taking her in his arms, and Tracy gave in to the decidedly inappropriateness of the song's suggestion, rolling her hips with his and reveling in the feeling of his hands sliding up her sides. With the music behind her, she could be just as sexy as the song implied and let go of the fears that had stopped her earlier when they had been kissing on the couch. All she saw was him, and all she felt was the beat, and when he dipped her down for the end of the song she immediately latched her mouth onto his.

Link held onto her tightly as he seemed to devour her mouth, one of his hands in her her hair, guiding her head in their kiss. Tracy couldn't even pretend to be demure in this situation, and felt the need to give back just as much as Link was giving her, which was entirely too much. His lips and his tongue were needy against hers, and his lithe limbs squeezed and tensed around her sides, sending her heart racing even faster. This - this was amazing, and pretty much how she wanted life to be always - music, passion, dancing, and all pushed to its limit to the point where she felt like she was going crazy - it was intoxicating and scary and all Tracy could think was that she wanted more. But then Link slowly released her, licking his lips and looking into her undoubtedly dazed eyes.

They both just stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily and trying to comprehend that kiss. Tracy opened her mouth twice, trying to find words to fit the situation, only to close her mouth again when nothing came. Link didn't seem to be doing much better, and eventually the moment of intense and sexually charged awkwardness passed when they both seemed to quirk tiny smiles at the same time. Link quickly took her hand and spun her out, and they picked up the beat halfway through "The Girl of My Best Friend" - which was a good tempo for them to two-step to without getting out of control again.

They danced through the rest of the A side of the album, happy and comfortable with themselves again by the end, both of them singing along to the lyrics. Link flipped the record over, and Tracy ran and got their cokes out of his bedroom.

"Thanks," he said as she handed him his. "Soldier Boy" started to play, but neither of them moved to start dancing again, happy to just take a break.

"So," Tracy said, pausing to finish until he finished taking a drink, "your mom's the one who got you started dancing, then?"

"Yeah, she did. I don't really remember a time when I didn't dance, but the first times I remember dancing were with her."

He pointed to a chair next to the window, the only piece of furniture in the room. "You take the chair, Trace," he said, turning on the fan before moving to sit leaning against the wall next to the chair after she sat down.

"My dad says that she studied ballet in school, but she never really pursued it because she liked swing dancing and modern dancing too much - but she could never convince her parents that those were as good as ballet."

"Oh, that's too bad," Tracy said, "I bet she was really good." She nudged his leg with her foot. "You had to get it from somewhere!"

Link looked up at her, his head tilted back against the wall, holding the cold coke bottle to his neck. "Yeah, I guess," he said, smiling after a moment. "My dad doesn't really get it - the dancing, I mean - but he kind of lets it slide because he liked that she was a dancer, I think." Tracy figured that was why she had never seen Link's dad chaperoning one of the hops or at the pageant.

"My parents love to dance," she said, thinking of the number of times she'd caught her parents waltzing in the backyard lately. "I think that's how my Ma finally convinced my Dad that she wanted to be more than friends - she wasn't so good with regular flirting. And my Dad can be kind of oblivious sometimes."

Link barked out a laugh and she looked at him, puzzled by his strange response.

"Like mother, like daughter, then?" he said, raising his eyebrow and smirking at her.

She kicked his leg. "Hey, now! I'll have you know that I can flirt just fine! Music or no!"

"I'm sure you can, Trace, I'm sure you can. But, darlin' when the music starts, you just can't help it, can you?"

"Wha - I, just..." She lost her words as she felt her face flame up and Link started laughing at her. Tracy was starting to think that maybe all that confidence on the dance floor could be a bad thing - if Amber was right and all the guys thought she was easy from the way she moved... 'No!' she thought, 'Just because they're movements were so stiff you could do them with a back brace on didn't mean she had to be that way!"

"Oh, darlin', I didn't mean it that way," Link said, on his knees in front of her now. She realized she had crossed her arms and turned away in a huff. "I think you're a great dancer, Trace, and so does everybody else."

"Damn straight," she said, looking into his startled blue eyes. "Just 'cause I don't dance like a prissy little.... little.... well, a prissy little _white_ girl doesn't mean I'm tryin' to flirt with everybody on the dance floor!"

Link laughed again and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the chair. "You're completely right, Trace. Us stuffy white boys just have a hard time handlin' how hip you can be, I guess." He smiled, then turned off his phonograph. Tracy pouted at him questioningly.

"No more dancing?"

"Aren't you the one who needs to study?"

"Awwww, Link! We already studied!"

"Yeah, for ten minutes!" He put his arm around her shoulders and led her back into his room. "Come on, Trace. I promise, we'll go back and dance once I'm sure you won't be stuck in summer school without me!"

Tracy continued to pout until he pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead. Then she gave up and thanked him for helping her again. They studied for the rest of the afternoon, snacking on home made cookies and cokes until Tracy couldn't stand to look at her books for another minute. Then they danced to the other side of 'Elvis is Back!' before Link finally took her home. Luckily, her Ma hadn't turned on the television to watch the show, or she might have realized that Tracy wasn't actually at the studio. Instead, she just smiled brightly at Tracy when she came in, and told her it was nice of Link to have given her a ride home so she didn't have to take the bus from the studio. Tracy just smiled back, replying, "Yeah, Ma. Link's a real swell guy like that."

* * *

A/N: I am sick. And I am sorry. Here is yo' update - better _very _late than never.

Thankyouthankyou Javasmoker for being my most consistent reviewer!

And thanks to everybody else for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

standard disclaimer applies. it's not mine & i'm not making any profit.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Let's go, Link," his father called from downstairs. Link checked his appearance in his mirrors once more. He was wearing his favorite suit, a medium blue-gray two-button he had had personally tailored after his two year anniversary of being on the Corny Collins show. He had decided on a medium blue tie, and his nicest black wingtips. Ducking back into his bathroom he shellacked his hair into position with hairspray once more, then hurried down the stairs to where his father was holding the door open.

After he had told his father excitedly about his upcoming meeting with Anna Harrison on Monday night, the man had insisted upon driving Link to DC himself. "You may be almost out of high school, but you're still under 18 - so you'll need me there to sign the contract. And you're still my son, Link. I don't want any of those hollywood-types trying to take advantage of you." Link had tried to protest, explaining how nice Anna was and that she _liked _him for his morals, not in spite of them, and that he could bring the paperwork home for him to sign - but his father had insisted.

Link liked his father - he did - he just wasn't that used to spending time with him. He could appreciate that his dad was finally taking an interest in his career, but was a little miffed at having this interjection of parental authority when he felt like he should be breaking out of his life as a kid. But, there was one especially nice result of his father taking him, and that was that since it was now a 'chaperoned' outing, Tracy's parents had agreed to let her come with them.

Link wasn't sure whether or not his dad knew quite who Tracy was. He knew he'd seen the show once or twice, but didn't know if he'd seen it recently, or even if he had if he would remember who Tracy was.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Uh, have you seen the show recently? In the last month or so?" he asked, glancing at his father.

"No. I haven't been home from the office in time to catch it, I'm sorry."

"Oh," Link said. He knew his father was polite, but he still thought maybe he should warn him about what the Turnblads were like. "Because Tracy got on the show around then."

"Hmm," his father said, non-commitally. They were about half-way to Tracy's house now.

"Just, Dad, you should know... Tracy's not like Amber."

"Well, that's good. I always thought Amber was a bit snotty, no offense."

"Oh, none taken, she was snotty. And mean." He made a face, thinking momentarily about how unhappy he'd been with Amber compared to Tracy. Being with Tracy was always fun and easy, never forced or constrained by trying to act like the perfect 'it' couple. "But Tracy's really different. She acts different and talks different and looks different. She's really sweet, and she... well, she means a lot to me, Dad."

"Okay, son." Link's father looked at him for a second before turning back to the road. "You haven't been dating her that long, have you?"

"No. Just a little over a week. But she makes me really happy. Even if she's a bit different." He looked at his father, willing him to understand. "And her family's a little different, too."

His father glanced at him again without turning his head, a little frown pulling the corners of his mouth down. "She's..." he paused. "She's not a negro girl, is she Link? I know they're dancing on the show now, and I'm okay with that, but things could be difficult for you.... I'm not sure how I'd feel about you dating a colored girl."

"No, dad," Link said, a little stunned, "she's white. She's just not like the other girls that I've dated."

"Well, okay then."

They descended into an awkward silence then that held until Link directed his father to the street where Tracy lived and told him to park in front of the Hardy-Har-Hut.

"You'd better come inside, Dad. She said her parents wanted to meet you."

The Larkin men exited the car and Link led the way up onto Tracy's stoop, knocking four times before standing back. His father was standing down one step from Link with his hands folded behind his back, regarding the house and the joke shop connected to it. Link hoped his father didn't suddenly choose this moment to become a snob, but he wasn't too worried.

Tracy appeared at the door then, in a magenta-colored dress he'd never seen her wear before, but could assume she had acquired during her and Penny's end-of-school/beginning-of-summer shopping trip that had left him bereft of her company last Thursday. It flared out a bit from her hips, landing just below her knees, and had bows on the scooped collar, mid-length sleeves, and on the band beneath her bust. It looked like light and comfortable enough fabric for the warm day, but modest enough to impress a father, and more-importantly, made her look even more adorable than usual.

"Hi, Link!" she said with a smile, before turning to greet his father, "Good Morning, Mr. Larkin."

"Dad, this is Tracy Turnblad," he said, facing his dad before turning back to Tracy, "and Tracy, this is my father, Charles Larkin." Tracy held out her hand to shake his, but his father lifted the back of it and folded it over his own, cupping it with his other hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, Miss Turnblad. I hear you make Link here very happy." Link's eyebrows rose and he threw a quick glare at his father, who merely smiled at him and Tracy for a moment before releasing her hand.

"Thanks, Mr. Larkin. I'm trying to, at least," she said, blushing a bit and smiling at his father. "Won't you both come in? My Ma's just finishing up some laundry downstairs, then she'll be right up." She led them both into the living room where her father was sitting reading the paper. He stood up when they walked in.

"Dad, this is Mr. Charles Larkin. Mr. Larkin, this is my dad, Wilbur." They shook hands and Link was pleased that his father's eyes didn't linger on the eccentrically large red bow tie Wilbur was wearing with his light summer shirt.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, sir," Wilbur said jovially. "My wife's just hanging some laundry downstairs. She runs a little laundry business to keep her occupied, and I run the joke shop downstairs. You should come in any time, I'll give you a discount for raising such a fine young man, here," he said, clasping a hand on Link's shoulder.

Link's father smiled and nodded, but didn't say anything for a moment. Choosing to ignore the invitation to the joke shop, he finally decided to focus on Link. "Yes, I'm quite proud of him, taking his career into his own hands. I wasn't sure how the singing and dancing were going to work out, but it does seem like he's taking it in a serious direction, and I can appreciate that." He looked at Tracy for a moment. "And I hear your daughter's a new addition to the show?"

Wilbur put an arm around Tracy. "Tracy just wouldn't rest until she got on that show. About time, if you ask me - our little bundle of sunshine just never stops dancin'." Tracy looked down, but then snapped her head back up quickly as her mother the room from behind them. The three men turned to greet her, and Link was pleased when his father's eyes only gave an almost imperceptibly small widening before he quirked his eyebrows together in acceptance and extended his hand.

"Mrs. Turnblad. I'm Link's father Charles. It's lovely to meet you. I see where Tracy gets her lovely smile from."

Edna set down her basket and quickly shook his hand, bashfully covering her mouth with the other hand. "Well, thank-you, Mr. Larkin," she said, giggling a bit. "You've certainly raised a polite young man. We loved gettin' to visit with Link when he came over for supper last week. Such nice manners! You must be so proud of him! And goin' to Washington to meet with a real agent!"

His dad clasped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly, making Link turn to look at him. His father's blue eyes, the mirrors of his own, were soft and serious as they looked at Link. "I certainly am, Mrs. Turnblad. He's turned out better than I could have hoped." Link quirked one side of his mouth up, a bit moved by the compliment even though it sounded like normal parent approbations.

"We're planning on driving till we reach DC, then stopping for a quick lunch before Link's meeting at two. I don't think we'll be back later than six or seven," Link's father said, turning back to Tracy's parents. "I'm glad Tracy will be coming with us. It'll nice for Link to have some support there with him besides me."

Tracy grabbed Link's hand for a moment and gave it a squeeze, looking up at him. Link squeezed back, then looked up to catch Wilbur smirking at their gesture. He flashed his electric bow-tie once at Link and raised his eyebrows quickly before extending his hand once more.

"Well Link, I certainly hope it all goes well for you. I'm sure it will. Nice young man like yourself is sure to go far," Wilbur finished as he extended a hand to lead them back to the front door.

"Oh, me too, hon! We'll be rooting for you while you're in your meeting," Edna piped in and followed them as Link's father led them out towards the car. Tracy ran to grab her purse from her room and joined them at the front door.

"Alright, hon, you be safe! And listen to Mr. Larkin! And have a good time!"

Tracy hugged her mom quickly. "I will, Ma. Don't worry." Then she turned and grabbed Link's hand, pulling him towards the car and turning to wave to her parents before she got into the back seat with Link. "Sorry about that," she said quickly, before his dad got in the front seat, but Link only squeezed her hand quickly to let her know it was fine.

The ride was uneventful, and only mildly awkward. Link and Tracy sat in the back holding hands, or with Link's arm around her, and they occasionally tried to make small talk with his father. Towards the end of the trip, Link finally convinced his father to tune the radio to a better station, then he and Tracy nodded happily to the music in the back.

They stopped to have lunch at a small diner once they got into D.C., and Link's father started asking questions.

"So, Link, what are you planning on telling this agent-person?"

"Her name is Anna Harrison, Dad. And she's really very nice."

"I'm sure. But I don't want you having to cut school anymore than you already do for the show. Only weekends and after school for .... whatever it is you'll be doing. And your grades better not drop, Link, I mean it." Link suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his father. Link's report card seemed to be the only way his father gauged how Link was doing. He knew very little about his son's life, but seemed to think that as long as he was getting As and Bs, he must be fine. It was frustrating, especially knowing that good grades probably weren't going to matter much in the world of show business, and he might be spending his time much better if Anna was able to find opportunities for him.

But he knew his father wouldn't ever see it like that, so he swallowed his protests and muttered a quick "yes, sir" before finishing his hamburger.

"Well, but he has plenty of time during the summer, right Link?" Tracy asked, turning to look at Link. "Maybe she'll have things for you before school starts."

Link's father nodded solemnly and Link smiled at Tracy, "Yeah, I hope so, babe."

They finished up lunch quickly, with Tracy trying to make polite small talk with his father a bit more; finding out where he worked and such. They left the diner a little after one, and headed downtown to the address listed on Ms. Harrison's card after asking their waitress for directions. They had to park a couple of blocks away, and the walk to the tallest building Link had ever been inside was as nerve-wracking an experience as the first time Link had gone on television. Tracy held Link's hand, hers vibrating in excitement and his a bit clammy from nervousness, and they found the name placard for the WDG Talent Agency listed on floor six. He started to walk in the revolving door, but Tracy's hand held him back.

"Wait a minute," she said, and reached for his other hand. She looked up into his eyes for a moment, before stepping back a step to do a quick perusal of his appearance. She deftly smoothed out a wrinkle his jacked had acquired from sitting at lunch - something she must have learned from her laundress mother that involved breathing on the fabric and holding it creased the other way for a moment, then circled him quickly brushing off any lint, and lastly pulled him down to her height and checked his hair for him, pulling out a tiny can of hairspray from her purse to lock it down once more. She put her hands on the sides of his neck and looked into his eyes. "There," she said, "you're perfect."

Link gave her a slightly lopsided smile, trying not to let his face reveal too many of his emotions. He was scared that something might go wrong - might have _gone_ wrong - since he last talked to Ms. Harrison that might have made her decide not to sign him. He was excited, _so excited, _that he was really here - really starting his own show-biz career, on his way to making a name for himself beyond Baltimore and getting to live a dream that millions of guys his age would kill for. He was afraid that his father would butt in and try to get control of a situation that didn't concern him and that he really knew nothing about. He was glad Tracy was here with him, thankful to have someone by his side who really believed in him and his dreams. He wished he could have her in the meeting with him instead of his father, but knew that probably wasn't an option.

"Link," his father called, "come on, son. Let's go." He headed through the doors and Link and Tracy followed him.

Tracy held his arm as they rode up the elevator, beaming up at him, visibly trying to transfer as much confidence to him as she could.

They checked in with a woman behind a round desk, and only had to wait a moment before a younger woman in very high heels came from further back in the office to greet them.

She reached for Link's hand and shook it. "Hi, Mr. Larkin, I'm Ms. Harrison's assistant, Christy. Just follow me back, if you will, Ms. Harrison is waiting for you."

"Should my father come with me now, or would Ms. Harrison like to speak to me alone first?" Link asked, trying to give a very subtle head nod to let Christy know that's what _he _would prefer. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to get the hint.

"Oh, your father and sister are welcome to come back as well. This is a general meeting, and we're accustomed to younger talent being accompanied by their family." She walked away, leading them back towards Ms. Harrison's office. "Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Coffee? Some cokes?"

They reached a frosted glass door and Christy knocked softly before opening the door and ushering them inside. "Ms. Harrison, Link Larkin and his family are here." Christy turned to Tracy as Anna stood up from her desk to come greet them. "Miss Larkin, would you like to wait outside in our lounge, or would you rather stay with your brother for the meeting? They can get a bit tedious sometimes," she whispered conspiratorially. Link was about to correct her, conscious of Tracy's cheeks growing red in embarassment, but someone beat him to the punch.

"I would assume that the young lady would like to stay, Christy, as I rather doubt she is Mr. Larkin's sister," Ms. Harrison cut in, arching an eyebrow at her assistant for a moment before turning back to Tracy. "Miss ....?"

"Turnblad, Ms. Harrison, My name is Tracy Turnblad." Tracy said, smiling gratefully and giving a nervously little half-curtsey gesture.

"Miss Turnblad, of course. The Corny Collins' second brightest star, to be sure."

Christy had been tilting her head questioningly at Tracy, as if trying to figure her role in the meeting, but then raised her head in understanding at Anna's compliment. "I'm sorry, Anna, I had thought I was only making an appointment for Link - should I set up another agreement for Miss Turnblad?"

"Not at this time, Christy," Mrs. Harrison replied. "This meeting is only to discuss Mr. Larkin's future. I'm sure that Miss Turnblad is here primarily to be a supportive girlfriend, is that right?" she asked, to which Tracy readily nodded.

Christy's looked momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure. "Of course, Ms. Harrison. Let me know if you need anything." She quickly retreated from the office, shutting the door behind her.

Ms. Harrison introduced herself to Link's father and made small talk as they settled on to a couch and chairs that were set up next to her desk. The office wasn't overly large, but it was nicely decorated and had a large window next to the desk. There were a couple of largish plants on either side of the couch, and a modern-looking square coffee table between the seats.

"Please, call me Anna," Ms. Harrison insisted to his Father, before gathering some papers from her desk and settling into her seat.

Beside him, Tracy was pretending to be calm, but he could tell from the way her feet were pointedly turned in and the tension in her legs that she was anything but. Seeing her nerves actually helped calm his a bit, as if ratifying that 'yes,' this was a big exciting thing he was doing and the butterflies threatening to upend his lunch were not out of line. His father had settled into his seat and crossed his legs, but kept his hands relaxed on the arms of the chair. He looked very much the part of the impartial observer, for which Link was grateful.

Anna first gave them a quick run-down of the WDC Agency and its history, explaining that they were a smaller subsidiary of the William Morris Agency, which was more well known but often more exacting in their standards and rules of conduct. Since WDC wasn't as large, they had the opportunity of embracing the cultural changes sweeping the nation wholeheartedly - which was why she had been selected in lieu of one of the William Morris agents to attend the pageant after the march and protest against the station. She explained that being a smaller company affiliated with the William Morris powerhouse had lots of perks, as they could often borrow the network connections of their mother business. The only downside, she mentioned, was that occasionally they would get bullied out of more mainstream opportunities if someone in William Morris decided it was more ideal for their talent, as they could leverage their contract prices against the company stock to make a better offer to the client.

"Not to worry, though, Link," she said, reaching over to lightly pat his knee in a somewhat surprising motherly gesture, "WDC can provide you with more opportunities that you can probably take on while still in school. Your local fame in the Baltimore has provided you with that much at least, and your natural talent will carry you even further. And if there ever comes a time where you want to go to a bigger agency, I have no problem discussing your options with you and helping you decide what would be best. It's part of the reason I only start young clients out with a one-year contract, as at your age it's hard to know exactly what you'll want in a couple of years." Link didn't miss the eye contact she made with his father at that moment, in a obviously practiced move to reassure over protective parents that she wasn't trying to trap their naive children into a bad business deal.

She turned back to Link and Tracy with a smile. "What exactly are your plans for the summer? I assume you'll be continuing on the Corny Collins show. Are you working or attending summer school otherwise?"

"No, Ma'am. I mean, yes to the show - that's four days a week from one to five in the afternoon, and some Saturday rehearsals. But that's my only job lined up for the summer."

"Excellent," she said. "I'm glad we won't have to fight a summer school or garage job on top of that schedule. Makes my job much easier." She sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.

"Now, what I propose is this: We get you in as many print ads, commercials, and TV spots as I can find over the summer - to get your name out in a wider circle than just the Corny Collins audience - and then when school starts up in the fall we'll cut back to only the smaller projects, so that your face and name is still getting out, but you're not too overwhelmed to focus on school work as well."

She was _good_. Anna had obviously worked with parents like Link's father in the past, and knew how to make them happy. He caught his the man nodding righteously from the corner of his eye and smiled at Anna blandly but winked from the eye his father couldn't see. "Of course, Ms. Harrison. My studies are still my highest priority when school is in session." One of her carefully pruned eyebrows raised in skepticism but quickly lowered again as she continued.

"I have a couple of catalog ads that I think you could do coming up in the next month, and Pepsodent toothpaste is looking for a younger spokesperson for some commercials that I think we should put your name in for. There are more television opportunities if you're willing to travel to DC a couple of times during the summer?"

Link nodded. "As long as it doesn't interfere too much with Corny's rehearsals, then I'm hip for whatever you think will get me out there, especially as it will be harder to travel to the city after school starts."

Anna continued to outline the upcoming gigs that she thought he should try for, how exactly the contract would stipulate his work agreement between the agency and their clients, and explained how she like to remain in bi-weekly communication with all her clients. Christy came in with their drinks and the atmosphere become less formal, and they all started asking questions, which Anna answered amiably and as honestly as she could. Over the course of the next hour they all relaxed a bit into an easy communication, and by the time she pulled out the contract from her desk, complete with carbon copies and pen that's weight didn't quite match the emotional magnitude that Link felt it should, his father had no hesitation in signing the contract.

Link's hand shook a bit before he put the pen to the paper, but steadied as he felt Tracy leaning into his side. He scrawled his double "L"s with a flourish and handed the contract back to Anna who had stood up. She beamed at him as he stood up to shake her hand.

"I love signing new talent, especially when their future is as bright as yours, Link," she said with a smile. "And Mr. Larkin," she said reaching across the table to clasp his father's hand for a long moment, "you've raised a sensible and talented young man." She turned to include Tracy in her gaze as she continued, "and he's very lucky to have people who care and support him in his endeavors. Show business can be a harsh, and I know from experience that without people around you to boost you up and listen to your frustrations it can be disheartening."

"Thank you," Tracy said quietly, looking towards Link and putting her arm through his. "I just know he's going to be a huge star, and I can't wait to watch it all happen."

"Yes, I think so, too," Anna agreed, looking endearingly once more at Link.

His father muttered something about his son 'always having such a way with ladies' that made Link wink at him and shrug before he turned to head towards the door. Tracy pulled her arm from Link's and made to follow his father.

"Goodbye, Ms. Harrison," Link said with a genuine smile. "And thank you again for everything." He shook her hand once more and turned it over to give it a quick but sincere kiss before following his small entourage out the door and into the bright summer that lay ahead of him.

* * *

A/N: OHHH i hate being inconsistent with the film but then having to stick with it because I already used it in an earlier chapter without realizing it. Booo.

Also, Grad school applications are almost complete! Updates will not take 2 months from now on! Promise!

(reading and reviewing is awesome. i love you all for doing either or both.)


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